The Cleveland Cavaliers got blown out in their final preseason game 132-116 to the Orlando Magic.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents that player performing to our expectations for them.
James Harden
13 points, 2 assists, 0 rebounds
The Cavs struggled to get into any kind of scoring rhythm. The bigs weren’t involved as much as you’d like, and the offense overall wasn’t able to generate many clean looks for outside shooters. Part of the blame for that falls on the starting
point guard.
In addition to that, Harden had a tough time finding his own shot. He went just 6-for-14 from the field in an overall forgettable game.
Grade: D-
Donovan Mitchell
15 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists
Mitchell made a concerted effort to get others involved. That resulted in eight assists in under 25 minutes to go along with 15 points. This was a solid night from someone who looks ready for regular season basketball to start.
Grade: B
Evan Mobley
14 points, 5 rebounds, 0 assists
Mobley missed his first five shots before slowly turning it around as he put up seven points in both the second and third quarters.
This preseason has been rough for Mobley offensively. He’s struggled to get to his spots on the floor and hasn’t been very efficient when he gets there. This 6-for-14 performance is on the heels of going 3-for-10 the game before.
Grade: D
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Peyton Watson
10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Watson struggled to find the range from deep as he went 1-for-5 beyond the arc. The three-point volume in 24 minutes is what you want to see, even though the efficiency wasn’t there.
The energy Watson plays with remains encouraging. He was an active defender as he racked up two blocks and a steal.
Grade: B
Jarrett Allen
9 points, 6 rebounds, 0 assists
Allen was an afterthought on offense and wasn’t able to do enough defensively to cover up for the poor point-of-attack defense elsewhere.
Grade: D
Jaylon Tyson
12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Tyson’s energy is infectious. He and Watson were two of the regulars who played with the appropriate amount of energy.
Grade: B
Meleek Thomas
16 points, 0 assists, 3 rebounds
There are legitimate questions about whether Thomas is ready to fit into an off-ball role. There are fewer questions about how he looks when you put the ball in his hands.
Thomas played five minutes in the first three quarters with the regular rotation and struggled to make an impact. He attempted just one shot and never really felt a part of the offense. That changed in the fourth quarter when the Cavs pulled their regulars and put the ball in his hands.
Thomas scored 14 of his 16 points in the final frame. He relentlessly got where he wanted on the court, and scored efficiently when he got there, as he ended the night going 6-for-9 from the field.
You don’t want to make too much of garbage time in a preseason blowout, but this was another encouraging performance from Thomas.
Grade: A-
Mario Hezonja
12 points, 2 assists, 6 rebounds
This was a solid showing for Hezonja. He once again held up well against a physical Orlando team as he did a little bit of everything.
These last two games have been encouraging for Hezonja after a rough debut against the Boston Celtics.
Grade: B
Craig Porter Jr.
0 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Porter has a shot at earning a spot in the rotation, but he hasn’t done enough to definitively grab that role. He once again struggled to make an impact off-ball, and didn’t attempt a shot in 17 and a half minutes. Porter’s defense has been fine, and it’s good to have another play initiator in the offense, but guards need to be threats to score when they’re on the court.
Grade: D+
Tyrese Proctor
4 points, 0 rebounds, 2 assists
Proctor got some run with the regulars, but didn’t necessarily make the most of it. He didn’t make much of an impact when he was with the other rotation players, which isn’t ideal for someone the team is hoping will take a leap in his second season. It wasn’t until he shared the court with some of the reserves that you started to feel his impact.
Grade: C
