Redrafting the 2017 NBA Draft: Which teams fix their mistakes?

Donovan Mitchell has started the season on fire for the new-look Cavaliers. After years of coming up short in Utah, it looks like Mitchell might finally be at the helm of a legitimate contender. While Mitchell’s career up to this point has been equal parts electrifying and frustrating, a change of scenery could be what propels him to the next level of stardom. That’s exciting.

There’s no denying Mitchell’s talent for scoring the basketball. His deadly first step and explosiveness at the rim make Mitchell one of the league’s most prolific slashers. He’s also an excellent pull-up shooter who continues to improve his 3-point volume and efficiency every season.

Now, Mitchell faces the ultimate burden of proof: he can score prodigiously, but can he be the go-to creator and ostensible alpha dog for a title contender? He never reached that status in Utah. Precious few players are truly capable of occupying such a role, and even fewer are small guards. Mitchell’s early-season performance as a facilitator and defender has been very promising, but he will have to sustain that all-around impact for an entire season and postseason.

Whether he eventually achieves that status or not, Mitchell is a perennial All-Star who has comfortably outperformed his original draft position. The capacity for sustained growth is there too. Mitchell is small, yes, but he’s a 6-foot-2 guard with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He’s long, and he’s built like a linebacker. He can play bigger than his height on defense when he puts his mind to it. The same goes for the offensive end: Mitchell doesn’t face the same pitfalls as other guards in his height range.