By james art The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business with an emphatic 135-116 victory over the Washington Wizards. Even though Washington is a bad team, it’s good to see them play with that level of focus on the second night of a matchup.
Player ratings are based on our expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
30 points, 11-18 shooting, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 5 turnovers
Mitchell got off to a slow start, going scoreless in the first quarter, but picked it up from there. He shut the door on every comeback attempt with 23 second-half points on 8-11 shooting in that half alone.
It was exactly the kind of performance you’d expect to see from a star against a bad team like the Wizards. The only thing that keeps this score from being higher is the five sloppy flips.
Grade: A-
Evan Mobley
13 points, 4-13 shooting, 0-2 from three, 13 rebounds, 4 assists
It was the least polished game we’ve seen from Mobley this season, including the preseason. He had a hard time making his shots fall and missed a few more 3-pointers than you’d like to see.
Still, the process was mostly good. Mobley remains aggressive offensively off the dribble and continues to show promise as a passer. Throw in 13 rebounds and it’s hard to be too critical of Mobley’s drop.
Degree: B
Darius Garland
23 points, 9-11 shooting, 5 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers
This was the type of game you wanted to see from Garland. The process was mostly good in the first two games, but the results weren’t there. They were there Saturday as he aggressively drove the paint and confidentially took threes when the defense gave him some daylight. It was a good reminder of how special a player he can be when he’s on his game.
The most encouraging part of Garland’s breakout was that it wasn’t just due to tough shots, which we saw from most of Garland’s good performances last season. Instead, Garland created good opportunities for himself based on his movement and the pace at which he played.
Like Mitchell, Garland’s grade would have been slightly higher if it weren’t for some of his unnecessary turnovers.
Degree: A
Jarrett Allen
23 points, 10-10 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist
It was again a typical good game from Allen. He dominated rookie Alex Sarr and veteran Jonas Valanciunas inside. He converted every opportunity in the paint while playing great defense.
Allen’s assist to Garland in the third quarter is something that stood out. Allen has consistently shown that he is a good passer, but it has been difficult to showcase that skill when playing with Mobley due to spacing issues. Using him at the top of the arc with four shooters around him is something I’d like to see more of, considering how well he did that sort of thing midway through last season.
That pass to Garland after a pump fake in the corner was outstanding. This is also a good example of the off-ball movement I mentioned about Garland earlier.
Grade: A+
Dean Wade
2 points, 1-4 shooting, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Putting together strong, assertive offensive performances is a problem for Wade. He was outstanding against the Detroit Pistons. Not so much against the Wizards as he missed a few open looks on the perimeter.
The defense was still great. He was a big part of why Kyle Kuzma went 3-16 from the field. And he played a role in the starters’ best game together. This cannot be overlooked just because he was shy in attack.
Grade: C+
Caris LeVert
10 points, 3-4 shots, 4 assists, 2 blocks
LeVert remains a pleasant surprise for the Cavs. He plays much looser and more assertively in Kenny Atkinson’s system. It allowed him to be the best version of himself while still playing his game.
It wasn’t an impressive performance from a statistical standpoint, but it was a game the Cavs signed up for every night.
Grade: B+
Sam Merrill
11 points, 3-8 shooting, 3-7 from three, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Merrill needed this game after starting the season 1-7 through three. He had a rough opening half as he missed his first four shots, but turned things around by going 3-4 from deep in the second half.
He’s also developing a nice chemistry with Mobley similar to the one he had with his brother Isaiah with the Charge in 2022-23. I’m interested to see how this pairing continues to grow.
Atkinson gives Merrill a chance to show he’s a quality rotation player. It was good to see him come out strong like he did against Washington.
Grade: B+
Georges Niang
3 points, 1-7 shooting, 1-6 from three, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
Niang fell short but still found a way to contribute to the cup. This allowed him to be productive on the day off.
Grade: C
Isaac Okoro
4 points, 0-4 shooting, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Okoro missed a few three-point attempts that would have made his stats look a little better. He made a nice foul shot in transition, which was nice to see.
Okoro is figuring out how he fits into Atkinson’s offense. It wasn’t a step back, but it wasn’t a step forward either.
Grade: C
Ty Jerome
14 points, 4-6 shooting, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover
Jerome continues to deal with statistics in garbage time. He did that again here, as 12 of his 14 points came in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided. However, Jerome played well during his second quarter run. He continues to make a strong case for why he should be higher in the rotation.