The Cleveland Cavaliers looked lifeless in Houston. This will be a quick one.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
16 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds
Mitchell forced his way to the rim and even tried to dunk his frustrations away a few times. But it wasn’t enough.
Grade: D+
Darius Garland
12 points, 1 assist, 0 rebounds
Garland had no juice tonight. He turned the ball over multiple times in the first quarter and was later blocked on a three-point attempt as Houston’s length was too much for him.
Grade: F
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Evan Mobley
4 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
Mobley hasn’t been aggressive enough. We understand he’s working his way back from injury, but this isn’t a new trend.
Grade: F
Sam Merrill
13 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
Merrill did all he could. Being asked to defend Kevin Durant is rude. And, he didn’t have any other help on offense.
Grade: C+
Jarrett Allen
6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
The Cavs can’t afford to keep getting this type of production from Allen. He’s been the biggest underperformer of the core four this season.
Grade: F
Jaylon Tyson
23 points, 0 assists, 14 rebounds
Tyson might be the only player who played well tonight. Kenny Atkinson said as much at the end of the game. It shouldn’t be the case, but Tyson was the best player for Cleveland.
Grade: A+
De’Andre Hunter
2 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds
I don’t even want to grade Hunter at this point. He’s inventing new ways to hurt his basketball team. He had more turnovers than field goals tonight, and he only had 1 turnover.
Grade: F
Dean Wade
6 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds
I watched this entire game, and I’m not fully convinced that Wade was on the court. The box score says he played 18 minutes.
Grade: D
Lonzo Ball
2 points, 0 assists, 0 rebounds
A complete and total negative. Ball brought nothing of value to the Cavs tonight.
Grade: F
Craig Porter Jr.
2 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound
Porter should be the backup point guard. Not because he played particularly well, but because the guard in front of him has been actively damaging. At least Craig is breaking even.
Grade: C+
Thomas Bryant
7 points, 2 assists, 7 rebounds
Another outlier from tonight. Bryant was among the only Cavaliers who played with heart. We need more of Bryant moving forward.
Grade: A–
