The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a stunner in Philly. This one was equally stressful and rewarding.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
13 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 6 turnovers
Mitchell was quiet for most of this game. He only attempted five shots in the first half as Philly focused most of their defensive attention on him. Mitchell did a great job of countering this by being a playmaker rather than pressing the issue. He eventually found a small rhythym in the second
half, giving the Cavs just enough to pull off a win.
I would have given Mitchell an extra letter grade had he taken better care of the ball. Six turnovers are a bit much.
Grade: B
Jaylon Tyson
39 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds
Tyson was phenomenal tonight. A career-high in points on absurd efficiency (13-17 shooting). This is the type of performance that Tyson has replicated multiple times this season, to lesser degrees. The more he proves he can score at this rate, the more valuable Tyson becomes as a prospect. This might be a future All-Star caliber player.
If his red-hot shooting wasn’t enough, Tyson also dished the game-winning assist. A cool, calm, and collected approach from a player who has shown no fear through his sophomore season.
Grade: A+++
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Evan Mobley
15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal
I wish we could have seen more from Mobley, considering the injuries to Darius Garland and Sam Merrill. But Philly did a good job of keeping Mobley away from the paint. That is, until the very final possession, where Mobley caught a pass and dunked it home for the win.
Grade: B–
Tyrese Proctor
13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 11 minutes
Proctor took advantage of his opportunity today. He was an efficient 5-8 from the floor and arguably should be playing ahead of Lonzo Ball, at this point.
Grade: A+
Craig Porter Jr.
2 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds
Porter might not be a threat to shoot the ball, but he keeps finding ways to be effective anyway. He matched his career-high with 11 assists and grabbed 2 offensive rebounds.
Grade: B+
De’Andre Hunter
16 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Hunter is starting to trend in the right direction. He’s been more efficient recently (7-13 tonight) and threw down a monster dunk in the fourth quarter. It took him a minute, but this is what we expected to see from Hunter this season.
Grade: A-
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Jarrett Allen
10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Allen was fairly timid tonight. At least, compared to how he played in his previous matchup with Philly. He still did a fine job of keeping Embiid away from the glass, but he could have been more assertive on offense.
Grade: B
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
9 points, 5 rebounds
Tomlin is an energizer. You know this by now. He threw down a couple of thunderous dunks tonight and gave Cleveland a surge of momentum when they needed it most.
Grade: A–
Lonzo Ball
0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
I don’t know, man.
It’s hard to see Ball turning his season around at this point. He just doesn’t seem to have any juice as a shot creator anymore. I don’t think he’s played well enough to stay ahead of any other guard on the roster right now.
Grade: D-
