The Cleveland Cavaliers have found themselves in a couple of dogfights recently. Doesn’t matter, though. Cleveland has emerged victorious from each one to extend a 12-game winning streak.
Grades are based on our expectations of each player.
Donovan Mitchell
26 points (8-17 shooting), 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 turnovers
No one on the Cavaliers has shot the ball particularly well during this stretch. Mitchell included. But his flaws from this game had nothing to do with his efficiency. Mitchell actually elevated the Cavs with his scoring for most of the night.
Instead, poor ball management landed Mitchell one of his rare underwhelming games. Mitchell turned the ball over at key moments, each time unforced. His errant bullet pass to Mobley in the fourth quarter should have been a simple swing to Strus. The play where he dribbled off his own foot… again, should have been a simple pass to Strus.
Mitchell played a fine game otherwise. His offensive onslaught in the first half gave Cleveland a 17-point cushion that proved useful as the game went on. Still, he gets a lower grade than usual.
Grade: B-
Darius Garland
15 points (5-12 shooting), 10 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
Garland picked up his sixth double-double of the season despite another quiet shooting night. He shot 3-of-9 from deep but continued to find openings in the defense and set up his teammates. The Cavs will need Garland to score efficiently as he did in the previous months of the season — but he did just enough to scrape by Miami tonight.
Grade: B
Jarrett Allen
4 points (2-6 shooting), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks
Allen was the hero last game. Tonight, he sat on the bench during closing time.
This is just the reality of Allen’s role in Cleveland. In some games, he will be called on to dominate the glass and run the floor. For others, he’ll need to make way for a different lineup to take the stage. This was a bad game from Allen. But the fact that he has no qualms about stepping aside is a testament to the chemistry this team has built together.
He did throw a sick behind-the-back dime to Mobley, though. Which earns him a slight boost.
Grade: C
Max Strus
11 points (4-8 shooting), 2 assists, 2 rebounds
Strus was invisible for most of this game. Seriously, I couldn’t believe he played over 25 minutes because I hardly noticed him. But during the closing minutes, he was impossible to miss.
The Cavs are a different team when Strus is nailing three-pointers. They may have struggled to shoot in this game — but Strus delivered on consecutive threes just when they needed him most.
Then, on the pivotal possession, Strus fought through multiple screens to close out on Duncan Robinson and pressure him into stepping out of bounds. It’s the little things that get you wins.
Grade: A-
Evan Mobley
16 points (7-10 shooting), 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
After missing his previous game, Mobley returned against Miami and played 36 minutes. He had stretches of dominance leading to an impressive 16 points and 13 rebounds on 7-10 shooting. But Miami’s zone was effective in taking Mobley out of the picture. He rarely found himself in a position to score as Cleveland’s three-point shooting wasn’t enough to force Miami into an adjustment.
Nonetheless, Mobley continues to gain steam for Defensive Player of the Year and once again shined in a win for the Cavs. His flashes of all-around brilliance are becoming more common.
Grade: B+
De’Andre Hunter
16 points (6-12 shooting), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
As mentioned, the Heat zone gave Cleveland trouble. It was Hunter who broke them out of it.
Hunter stationed himself at the free-throw line and made bank. He converted numerous floaters from this zone and even threw a lob to Mobley in the closing moments. Hunter’s size made him an effective wrench to wedge in the middle of Miami’s zone — and without him, this game might have gone the wrong way.
Grade: A-
Ty Jerome
12 points (4-12 shooting), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Even on bad nights, Jerome is a positive. He didn’t score in bunches like he usually does but instead, Jerome gave a steady dose of offense. His five rebounds made a difference as Cleveland needed every possession to get over the hump. Jerome did just enough, as is the theme of this game.
Grade: B
Sam Merrill
3 points (1-3 shooting), 2 rebounds
The Cavs can play Merrill consistently with the hopes that he’ll catch fire and torch an opponent. This sort of happened last night with Merrill banging huge momentum shots. It didn’t happen against Miami. It is what it is.
Grade: C-
Dean Wade
2 points (1-2 shooting), 1 assist, 11 minutes
This was an old-fashioned Cardio Dean game. Wade didn’t assert himself on offense and probably should have pulled a few three-pointers in his limited time on the floor. As we know, high-volume shooting just isn’t his game.
That’s fine because Wade is still a massively impactful defender. He wasn’t overly helpful tonight as Bam Adebayo was going anything he wanted (including from the three-point line) but Wade’s size at least gave the Cavs a body to throw at him.
Grade: D
Isaac Okoro
7 points (3-5 shooting), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 10 minutes
Kenny Atkinson relied heavily on Mitchell, Strus, Hunter and Jerome tonight. That left Okoro with limited opportunities to see the floor. When he was out there, he made the most of it. Okoro has been driving the ball and sending the defense in rotation more than in the past. His drive-and-kicks are still not leading directly to assists but they get the defense moving. That’s a huge upgrade from standing in the corner doing nothing. The bar might sound low — but this is good activity from Okoro that will pay off if it continues.
Grade: B-
