By james art The Cleveland Cavaliers improved their record to 4-0 after a good win over the New York Knicks.
Ratings are based on our expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
24 points (9-17 shooting), 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 turnovers
Mitchell was one of the few Cavaliers whose outside shots were rolling tonight. His timely tackles kept them in the game – even if he occasionally forced the issue and converted some ineffective tries. It wasn’t a perfect game from Mitchell, but it was more than enough to win.
Grade: A-
Evan Mobley
17 points (7-12 shooting), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks
It was a slow start for Mobley. He didn’t take a shot in the first quarter and scored just three in the second. But by night’s end, he would establish himself as a force in the paint. His constant pressure at the rim gave the Cavs a dose of life in a game where they shot just 33% from three. Mobely’s rim protection also made a difference.
Grade: B+
Darius Garland
34 points (12-19 shooting), 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals
If you’ve been looking for the real Darius Garland, the search is officially over. Garland hasn’t looked this good in quite some time, but tonight was a comeback. He destroyed New York’s defense with shots from all over the field, and his defense was just as impressive. Four shares (steals and blocks) to go with a game-high 34 points is the kind of thing that gets you extra credit.
Grade: A++
Jarrett Allen
15 points (5-7 shooting), 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
The Knicks started this game pounding Cleveland on the glass like they have done before. The first half was a little rough, but Allen responded with a dominant performance on the boards. Each of his 15 rebounds was important in the win, and his always efficient finishing around the rim was helpful as usual.
Grade: B+
Dean Wade
1 point (0-5 shooting), 4 assists, 3 rebounds
It wasn’t Wade’s best game. He couldn’t find the net despite several open three-point opportunities, and his presence on the glass wasn’t felt until the second half. However, he remains one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and has lasted long against Jalen Brunson. We can’t give him much credit with this stat line, but Wade has been better than his -14 plus/minus suggests.
Grade: C+
Caris LeVert
5 points (1-4 shooting), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
LeVert didn’t have a great shooting night either. That was a theme for Cleveland’s role players tonight. But LeVert’s defense inspired the Cavs in the second half, and his errant shot ultimately didn’t hurt them as much as it could have. That was it good performance from a player who usually has extreme highs and lows.
Grade: C
Sam Merrill
6 points (2-5 shooting), 2 rebounds, 2 assists
It’s clear that Kenny Atkinson values the three-point shooting that Merrill provides. He was featured prominently in the rotation and was given enough daylight to shoot the ball. The only thing left is for Meryl to really knock down punches. He shot 2-5 tonight and is 6-19 overall on the season. With a shooter as talented as Merrill, you have to imagine it’s only a matter of time before those numbers improve.
Grade: C-
Georges Niang
5 points (2-6 shooting), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
The Cavs struggled to shoot in this game. This is obvious. But while Niang can often struggle to be positive when his shot isn’t falling – tonight was somewhat of an exception. He broke the glass and mostly was on the defensive. It wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t bad either.
Grade: C
Isaac Okoro
0 points (0-2 shooting), 1 assist, 1 steal, 9 minutes
Okoro is still trying to find his role on this team after spending the entire offseason negotiating a new contract. It seems the kinks are yet to be ironed out as Okoro puts in yet another lackluster performance. I would expect his role to expand as the season goes on – but Okoro will have to live up to that as well.
Degree: D
Ty Jerome
2 points (1-5 shooting), 2 steals, 7 minutes
We don’t want to rain on Jerome’s parade, but this wasn’t his best game. Early on, it was clear that New York’s strong perimeter defenders were going to give Jerome problems at the point of attack. He didn’t make much of an impact and his night ended early.