Donovan Mitchell is unsurprised by him not being an All-Star starter 'Winning comes first'

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not met expectations this season, as they were considered the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. It has not been the best campaign for head coach Kenny Atkinson because the team is struggling.

Donovan Mitchell is the team's best player, so most people expect him to be a player worthy of being an All-Star Game starter. Unfortunately, that was not the case this season, and Mitchell is unsurprised.

Mitchell knows winning is rewarded

Now that the Cavaliers are more than halfway through the 82-game season, it has not been the best campaign for them. They have a 24-20 record, which is decent, but it is nowhere close to matching expectations.

Winning 60+ games the previous campaign set the standard for the Cavaliers. Of course, they have been dealing with all types of injuries, but it is still not an excuse for their lackluster performance this season.

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As the team's best player, Mitchell is playing under immense pressure. His performances are often the reason behind their victories, but he has not been benefiting from his superb performances this season.

He is averaging 29 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. It is hard to blame him because he is playing so well. However, the All-Star voters agree that he does not deserve the starting nod for this season.

"Not gonna lie, I kinda expected that. The guys that were named, their records are better than ours. I wanted to be a starter for sure. At the end of the day, we win games and everyone gets rewarded. Winning comes first," Mitchell said after the All-Star Game starting lineup announcements.

Mitchell admits that the Cavs are not winning enough for him to deserve the nod. It would have been nice to get acknowledged, but he fully understands why he was not named as a starter.

He will most likely get in as an All-Star reserve, but he would like the Cavaliers to win more games. He would be honored with another All-Star nod, but he knows the ultimate goal is leading the Cavs to victory.

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