The Herd with Colin Cowherd Hoops Tonight - NBA Player Rankings #12-11: Donovan Mitchell & Kevin Durant
Aug 14, 2025
Delve into the intriguing world of NBA player rankings as the hosts dissect the placements of Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Durant. They tackle the complexities of comparing these stars and explore how Mitchell's evolving game with the Cavaliers impacts his ranking. Meanwhile, Durant's scoring mastery and his role in high-pressure situations illuminate the fine line between individual talent and team dynamics. A touch of personal storytelling about an Alaskan cruise adds a delightful layer, blending sports with life experiences.
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Top-12 Rankings Are Razor Thin
- Jason says the gap between players ranked 12 and 5 is minuscule and extremely hard to separate.
- He emphasizes these rankings are defensible and involve a lot of hair-splitting judgment calls.
Box Scores Can Be Misleading
- Donovan Mitchell sits at No.12 despite elite playoff scoring and accolades like first-team All-NBA and top-five MVP voting.
- Jason argues box-score drops don't always mean worse play if team impact and context improved.
Role Change Boosted Team Offense
- Mitchell reduced possession time by 22% yet kept scoring nearly intact and boosted team offense.
- Jason credits Mitchell's role change and willingness to cede touches to Darius Garland for team improvement.