CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers knocked off the LA Clippers in a 120-105 effort.
Grades are based on our expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
37 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds
Mitchell was as dynamic as ever.
He had it going from every spot on the floor tonight, decimating the Clippers and surpassing Kyrie Irving for 5th all-time in Cleveland’s three-point leaderboard.
Grade: A+
De’Andre Hunter
17 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds
Hunter was also efficient. He took advantage of the Clippers’ older defenders, burying Brook Lopez on mismatches throughout the first half. Hunter ended the game with 17 points on 4-7 three-point shooting.
Grade: A+
Evan Mobley
18 points, 2 assists, 10 rebounds
Mobley has slowly moved away from being a play creator and reverted to being a play finisher. Snatching offensive rebounds and catching dimes around the basket have improved his efficiency. And as the game went on, Mobley started to find more pockets in LA’s defense to make himself available.
I’d still like to see Mobley be more involved in the offense, as the Cavs will likely need more creation from him in the playoffs. But the tweaks to his role have resulted in a much more effective version of Mobley, for now.
Grade: A
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Darius Garland
8 points, 8 assists, 1 rebound
Garland began the game by scoring or assisting on six of Cleveland’s first seven field goals. He then proceeded to miss his next six attempts before sparking back to life in the fourth quarter to close the game. It was a mixed bag, but Garland’s return to the lineup has resulted in consecutive wins for the Cavs.
Grade: C+
Jaylon Tyson
7 points, 4 rebounds, 0 assists
Tyson, who has been nicknamed ‘Hackie Chan’ for his frequent fouls, had a difficult matchup tonight against one of the game’s most notorious foul-baiters. This resulted in three personal fouls in just seven minutes in the first half for Tyson.
He finally found his groove in the fourth quarter, converting multiple looks at the rim and nailing a corner three-pointer.
Grade: B-
Tyrese Proctor
11 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
Proctor made the most of his opportunity tonight. He scored 10 points in the opening quarter, driving to the basket, hitting multiple three-pointers, and drawing free throws.
Grade: A-
Luke Travers
3 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds
Travers was a pleasant surprise in the first half. He played sturdy defense and even buried a three-pointer.
Grade: A+
Dean Wade
5 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds
Wade started this game shooting 0-4 from deep. He finally connected on his first triple in the third quarter.
Grade: C+
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
8 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds
Tomlin entered this game with a bang. Within minutes of checking in, he rampaged down the floor for an acrobatic dunk. Then moments after, he rejected James Harden at the rim. He later connected on his first three-pointer of the season.
Grade: A–
Larry Nance Jr.
3 points, 0 assists, 1 rebound
Nance is still searching for his role this season. He appears to have lost a step athletically and hasn’t been able to make up for it with any other aspect of his game through the first month of the season.
Grade: D+
