One of the most exciting games on a great Christmas Day of NBA action saw the New York Knicks overcome a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-124. While many fans and analysts praised the Knicks for their comeback, the Cavs faced significant criticism for failing to hold on, despite franchise player Donovan Mitchell scoring 34 points.
In the aftermath, a former NBA All-Star took a shot at Mitchell and fellow multi-time All-Star Devin Booker when discussing their games.
What Did A Former NBA All-Star Say About Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker?
While addressing the Cavs vs Knicks Christmas Day game on the Gil’s Arena Show, former NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin made a general comment about high-scoring guards while criticizing Mitchell and Booker in the process.
Martin said, “Who does Donovan Mitchell make better around him? He doesn’t make the people around him better. That’s what it is. I put him in the same category as a few guys, they’re really good basketball players, but will it translate to wins? You got Donovan Mitchell, you got Devin Booker, you got certain guys, who will be a Hall of Famer when it’s all said and done, but who do they make better?”
The tough loss to the Knicks dropped the Cavaliers’ record to 17-15, and they are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. They’ve lost six of their last ten games, and it’s fair to say they haven’t met expectations after winning 64 games last season and finishing the regular season with the best record in the East.
HTX. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/lNAspxG0Pg
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 27, 2025
Mitchell is currently fourth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 30.7 points per game with an elite 63.5% actual shooting percentage. The problem, as Martin points out, is that Mitchell’s high-level scoring hasn’t translated to deep playoff runs.
The Cavs were upset in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the Indiana Pacers. It was the second straight season the Cavs lost in the second round in five games. Mitchell has yet to play in a conference finals, as he also had multiple disappointing playoff exits as a member of the Utah Jazz.
Perhaps it was unfair to Booker for Martin to bring him into the conversation, considering he has played in an NBA Finals, whereas Mitchell hasn’t. Booker also has a winning record in the playoffs, unlike Mitchell. However, they are similar when considering their status as two of the NBA’s best offensive players.
It will be challenging for Mitchell to change the narrative until he can at least reach the conference finals.
