Is Donovan Mitchell Good Enough To Win A Title As Your Best Player? | Postgame Show

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Is Donovan Mitchell Good Enough To Win A Title As Your Best Player?"

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – Postgame Show
Date: May 12, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively postgame edition, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the crew debate a pressing NBA question: Is Donovan Mitchell capable of leading a team to an NBA championship as the best player? The discussion weaves through last night's thrilling NBA performances, the player’s track record, and wider musings on talent versus team context. The episode features spirited exchanges, tangents on Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham, and detours into fan polls, all delivered with the show’s signature irreverence and fast-paced banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Donovan Mitchell’s Postseason Performance

• Stunning Game Analysis:

  • The group recaps Mitchell’s explosive performance: “Midway through the second quarter, he's got one point and then he scores 39 in the second half… 4 in the first half and 39 in the second half” (Daniel, 01:20).
  • Sparked the central debate: Can Mitchell be the best player on a title team?

• Debate: Can He Lead a Team to a Title?

  • Pro-Mitchell Argument:
    • Juju says yes, but it depends on the supporting cast:
      • “I think he can. I think it's all according to what you surround him with… It's according to the pieces around him performing at the clip that they must in these playoffs.” (Juju, 01:57)
    • Guest E suggests if you swapped Mitchell for Tatum on the Celtics, the Celtics could still win it all.
      • “You plop them into that Miami team with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo…you know who your alpha scorer is at the end of games.” (E, 02:23)
  • Counterpoints:
    • Tony (F) doubts Mitchell’s ceiling:
      • “He hasn't done it. He's been on good teams in the past that haven't done anything…And this year they're tied. Two. Two.” (F, 02:49)
    • Daniel points out: “Nobody's looking at that Detroit Cleveland series and saying the champion's going to emerge from that series. Nobody.” (Daniel, 03:10)

• Contextualizing the Criticism:

  • Juju argues previous playoff exits were due to injuries and lack of support:
    • “What's important to remember from last year. The Don was hurt. You feel me? Darius Garland, he was hurt…They were relying on Ty Jerome in the playoffs last [year].” (Juju, 03:16)

2. Comparisons to Other NBA Stars

• Anthony Edwards Example:
  • Stugotz: “Anthony Edwards may go his whole career without winning an NBA championship. I think Anthony Edwards can definitely be the best player.” (Stugotz, 03:45)
  • Daniel: “No one doubts that though…But…plenty of people would say it about Donovan.” (Daniel, 04:00)
• Cade Cunningham Mention:
  • Stugotz: “I think Cade Cunningham can totally be the best player.” (Stugotz, 04:10)
  • Daniel counters with efficiency issues: “Pretty inefficient though. Man, those turnovers.” (Daniel, 04:18)
  • Tony (F) adds: “And when he's bad, he's bad.” (F, 04:20)
  • Juju points to a lack of quality teammates as a factor:
    • “Because like you say, Tim Hardaway, Junior Beasley, all those pieces around him made way more sense than Duncan Robinson having his off night, you dig?” (Juju, 04:46)

3. Jokers of the Day & Lighter Moments

• Baseball Antics:
  • Juju calls out the San Francisco Giants for an exuberant victory celebration:
    • “San Francisco… we’re gonna call these the Frisco Giants…there are kids watching. Sirs, please excuse yourselves.” (Juju, 05:05)
  • Funny recap: “It’s the three outfielders meeting at center field after a victory and they do a three way hug where they’re, you know, pelvic thrust…that’s 15 yards in the NFL for sure.” (Daniel/Juju, 05:31–05:41)
  • Stugotz’s reaction: “That ain’t my kind of celly.” (Stugotz, 05:49)

4. Shout-Outs to Role Players

• Under-the-Radar Contributions:
  • Juju praises lesser-known players for key playoff performances:
    • “Huge shout to Kerris Lavert, Rui Hachimura, Jackson Hayes, Paul Reed, Dean Way for his defense as well as Max Strus for his defense.” (Juju, 05:58)

5. Audience Poll Results

• Highlight Polls (06:40–08:45):
  • “Is OKC going to be the first ever sneaky dynasty?”
    • 66% say yes.
  • “Is the best University of Miami fan you'll ever meet allowed to be a graduate of the University of Florida?”
    • 83% say no.
  • Humorous/absurd polls include:
    • “Was a blind Pacino in A Few Good Men?” (52% say no)
    • “Is Woody Woodpecker a parrot?” (79% say no)
    • “Is emu a Disney delicacy?” (57% say no)
    • “Is Dan above group chats?” (74% say yes)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Context and Winning
  • Juju: “He just hasn’t had the right situation happen. You see how long it took Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown to get it right.” (03:16)
• On Criticism of NBA Stars
  • Stugotz: “I object to the idea that, you know, can this player be the best player on a championship team? Well, they didn’t win, so he can’t be…” (03:45)
• Comic Relief
  • Juju on Giants outfielders: “That’s 15 yards in the NFL for sure.” (05:41)
  • Stugotz: “That ain’t my kind of celly.” (05:49)
• Role Player Salutes
  • Juju: “Salute to them, boys.” (05:58)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• NBA Results Intro & Harden Discussion – 00:32–01:16
• Mitchell’s 39-point Half & "Best Player" Debate – 01:16–04:38
• Comparing Stars & Team Support – 03:45–04:46
• Jokers of the Day (Giants’ Antics) – 05:01–05:45
• Role Player Shoutouts – 05:58–06:22
• Audience Poll Results – 06:40–08:45

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Conclusion

This episode delivers a classic blend of basketball insight, skepticism, and comedy. The debate circles around whether Donovan Mitchell’s elite scoring translates to true championship potential and how much team context matters. The hosts’ digressions—from playful polls to baseball’s “jokers of the day”—showcase the show’s unique personality while keeping the NBA conversation fresh and accessible. Enthusiasts of basketball analysis and comedic podcast banter alike will find plenty to enjoy.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

All right, let's bring juju aboard here. Juju. A lot of good NBA last night. The Cavaliers, they even up their best seven series to a piece. The Lakers, they are done. We didn't talk much today, though, about James Harden. You got anything for us on Harden's performance last night?

[C]

Oh, man. James Harden. First half. Without that first half from James Harden, they wouldn't have made it, dog. Never would have made it. Like the gospel song, say. I think that he. He provided the time and the proper Runway for the Don to have that second half, man. Like, he had, what, 40 points in the second half. That was incredible. Making it so that that trade makes the sense that it. It looked like it should have made back in the day. Last night was a great example of it working out.

[B]

Daniel. The Cavs are 60 at home this postseason. They are 0 and 5 on the road.

[D]

What Donovan Mitchell did yesterday is crazy. Where midway through the second quarter, he's got one point and then he scores 39 in the second half, scores 4 in the first half and 39 in the second half. Do you think that if I just throw to the audience and I'll throw the question to juju, is Donovan Mitchell good enough to win a championship as your best player, yes or no? Juju, I know how great he is, but is he in the Jimmy Butler category of. Yeah, I can be only so good with this player. I might be good, but I'm never going to be championship good if this is my best player.

[C]

Yeah, I think he can. I think it's all according to what you surround him with. Like you say, last night was a great example of it working out. But there are some nights where. Evan Mobley, where are you, brother? I know we talk so much about James Harden, but Evan Mobley, you're an all star. Last night, my brother Allen. Hey, we got nine points from you, but we could have used 12. So it's. It's a port. It's according to the pieces around him performing at the clip that they must in these playoffs.

[E]

I think Mitchell is such a talented scorer that if you put them on the right team, let's say you swap Tatum for Donovan Mitchell, I think he becomes their go to guy and they end up winning a championship just the same. I think that's why it was such a missed opportunity for Miami in their two different pursuits of Donovan Mitchell, to fail to get him. Because you plop them into that Miami team with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. You know who your alpha scorer is at the end of games.

[D]

Tony disagrees. Tony's making faces next year.

[F]

It's just the question is, is he the best player on a championship team? He hasn't done it. He's been on good teams in the past that haven't done anything. They were the number seed last year with a really good team. They didn't do anything. And this year they're tied.

[D]

Two.

[F]

Two. Okay, that's great. He had 39 points in the second half. Great. But are we looking at this Cavs team across the way in the Eastern Conference and look at the Knicks and being like, oh, geez, not going to shut him down.

[D]

Nobody's looking at that Detroit Cleveland series and saying the champion's going to emerge from that series. Nobody.

[C]

Yeah. But also too, what's important to remember from last year. The Don was hurt. You feel me? Darius Garland, he was hurt. That toe was acting up. We, we were lying. They were relying on Ty Jerome in the playoffs last. Good point. As crazy as it does sound that he hasn't been able to get it done. He just hasn't had the right situation happen. You see how long it took Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown to get it right. They went to the chip, thought they had it, and then the warriors got him. So I think once everything around him lines up, he could be that player.

[B]

Yeah, I, I object to the idea that, you know, can this player be the best player on a championship team? Well, they didn't win, so he can't be like Anthony Edwards. Anthony Edwards may go his whole career without winning an NBA championship. I think Anthony Edwards can definitely be the best player.

[D]

No one doubts that though. No one, no one would say, listening to this. No one would say, Anthony Edwards, if he's your best player, you can't win a championship. I think plenty of people would say it about Donovan.

[B]

You're probably right about that. Yeah, but, but, and I would also say the same thing to Kate Cunningham. Like, they're not going to win this year. I think Kate Cunningham can Totally be the best player.

[D]

Pretty inefficient though. Man, those turnovers.

[F]

And when he's bad, he's bad.

[D]

He's really like last night, he's got multiple eight turnover games. Doesn't he have like four of them already? Postseason, like that's, that's an inefficiency in the postseason when the baskets are hard to come by and you're allowing fast break points. That's something you can't have as an Achilles heel on your resume.

[F]

It's also a byproduct of who he has around him.

[D]

Right?

[F]

Like you start putting him around with different guys, guys that can play actual offense outside of him creating. And we'll see his turnovers drop, I'd imagine.

[C]

Yeah, 1,000%. Right? Because like you say, Tim Hardaway, Junior Beasley, all those pieces around him made weight way more sense than Duncan Robinson having his off night, you dig? So it's, it's rough for Kate right now.

[B]

Juju, give us some jokers of the day. Who you got for us, man?

[C]

Man, man, we gonna travel to baseball, man. I be tuning in to baseball sparingly, you know what I mean? I'm a casual fan. I'm supporting my boy, my brother Jeremy in the Marlins, but man, San Francisco, we're gonna, we're gonna call these the Frisco Giants that I saw last night. I don't know what they are celebrating, but there are kids watching. Sirs, please excuse yourselves.

[B]

I am out.

[C]

Jokers of the day.

[D]

For the audio audience, it's the three outfielders meeting at center field after a victory and they do a three way

[C]

hug where they're, you know, pelvic thrust little.

[F]

Pelvic thrust situation little.

[C]

That's 15 yards in the NFL for sure.

[B]

Craig, what do you think of that?

[C]

Oh, I'm shocked and dismayed.

[D]

That's something.

[B]

That ain't my kind of celly.

[C]

It is something and you know it.

[B]

Juju. Let's update some polls. Oh, sorry. Yes, go ahead.

[C]

Yes, sir. Yeah, yeah, we can go straight to the post, man, before we. When I pull up the post. Thank God. I'm gonna give a huge shout out though to Kerris Lavert, Rui Hachimura, Jackson Hayes basketball, Paul Reed, Dean Way for his defense as well as Max Truce for his defense. Things that will probably fly under the radar today. But those things were major. That happen yesterday, man. Salute to them, boys.

[D]

Check out Juju at DLS Hoops on YouTube. He and Tristan, an assortment of fun and guests are after basketball playoff games at DLS Hoop @DLS Hoops on YouTube. What do you have for us in the way of polls today? Juju.

[C]

Yes, sir. Is OKC going to be the first ever sneaky dynasty? 66% of the audience says yes. They are. Damn. Cover your ears, ass. Is the best University of Miami fan you'll ever meet allowed to be a graduate of the University of Florida? Yep. 83% of the audience says no.

[E]

But that's good news for you because you went to Santa Fe.

[C]

Which is more negative, nerdy, or goofy? 51 of the audience says goofy is more negative.

[E]

Close one.

[C]

Damn. Hell yeah. Was a blind Pacino in A few good men. 52% of the audience say no.

[D]

Wow, that's also very close.

[C]

Was a blind Pacino in Bull Durham? 54% of the audience says no. He wasn't close. Poles. Is there a player in the league that can successfully elbow Wimby in the face? 83% of the audience says no. There isn't. Do you often confuse De Niro and Pacino and you know? 62% of the audience says no. They don't. Is emu a Disney delicacy? 57% of the audience says no. Is Dan above group chats? 74% of the audience says yes. Is Woody woodpecker a parrot? 79% of the audience says no. And those are your pose.

[D]

We forgot. The one is a blind Pacino in Raging Bull.