Why is everyone suddenly so hard on Donovan Mitchell?

Somewhere along the way, we stopped appreciating great NBA players unless they ended every season holding a trophy.

Everything now is rings. Legacy. “Can he be the best player on a title team?”

And maybe Donovan Mitchell can’t.

Maybe he ultimately falls into that group with guys like David Thompson, George Gervin, Alex English, and Charles Barkley — incredible players who thrilled fans, filled arenas and made the league better without ever leading a team to a championship.

And guess what? That’s OK.

Mitchell is a fantastic player. He’s also been terrific for Cleveland.

He shows up. He embraces the city. He says the right things and mostly backs them up. He plays hurt. He competes. He scores in bunches and somehow still manages to make the spectacular look routine.

Basketball is supposed to be fun too, remember?

Not every star who fails to win a title is a disappointment. Sometimes another team is simply better. Sometimes the matchup is wrong. Sometimes the roster isn’t quite enough.

That doesn’t erase greatness.

The Cavaliers just reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time without LeBron James since 1992. Mitchell was the biggest reason why.

Maybe he eventually wins it all. Maybe he doesn’t.

Either way, Cleveland has one of the NBA’s most electric players. He gives the franchise hope, a reason for fans to tune in night after night. That still counts for something.