Donovan Mitchell makes bold DPOY plea for Cavaliers star as NBA insider teases final ballot moves

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has fellow All-Star teammate Evan Mobley’s back in the race for Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY). The deadline for submitting ballots is April 18, and one of the voters is Cleveland.com reporter Chris Fedor..

Fedor posted on X (formerly Twitter) that DPOY is one of the toughest awards to vote for. The process became even more complicated after San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was shut down just 46 games into the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder — falling short of the 65-game minimum to qualify for end-of-season honors.

With Wembanyama out of contention, the DPOY race was blown wide open, making it a challenge for media members to finalize their picks. But Mitchell believes his frontcourt teammate deserves the award based on his body of work this season. He responded to Fedor on X, calling Mobley the rightful winner.

"Chris you know damn well it’s @evanmobley award," Mitchell posted.

The 6-foot-11 Moblety emerged as an All-Star for the first time this season. He finished the regular season with 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. He won Defensive Player of the Month honors in December and February.

Donovan Mitchell believes in the Cavaliers' title chances

Donovan Mitchell wrapped up his third season with the Cavaliers on a strong note, averaging 24 points, 4.5 rebounds and five assists on 44.3% shooting.

Reflecting on his season, Mitchell discussed the necessity for growth for him and the squad to succeed.

“When I got traded to Cleveland, people just assumed it would click right away, but you have to grow,” Mitchell said (per Cavs Nation).

“The real question is how you continue to get better throughout the season. We beat Boston at their place. But how do we respond tonight against Chicago? How can we be the best team possible?”

While the Cavs finished with a 64-18 record, questions remain about the Cavs’ playoff potential. Still, Mitchell remains confident in the team’s ability to prove doubters wrong.

“Once we do what we believe we can do, that will definitely change.”

The Cavaliers will wait until the Play-In Tournament is finished to figure out which team they'll go against in the first round.