Player Grades: Cavs vs. Wizards
Garland broke out of his slump with an impressive performance in D.C.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business with a decisive 135-116 win over the Washington Wizards. Even though Washington is a bad team, it’s good to see them play with this level of focus on the second night of a back-to-back.
The player grades are based on our expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
30 points, 11-18 shooting, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 5 turnovers
Mitchell started off slow with no points in the first quarter but he turned it on from there. He closed the door on any comeback attempt with 23 points in the second half on 8-11 shooting in that half alone.
This was the exact performance you’d expect to see from a star against a bad team like the Wizards. The only thing keeping this grade from being higher is the five sloppy turnovers.
Grade: A-
Evan Mobley
13 points, 4-13 shooting, 0-2 from three, 13 rebounds, 4 assists
This was the least polished game we’ve seen from Mobley this season including the preseason. He had a difficult time getting his shots to fall and passed up on a few more threes than you’d like to see.
Still, the process was mostly good. Mobley remains aggressive in attacking off the dribble and continues to show promise as a passer. Throw in 13 rebounds and it’s tough to be too critical of Mobley’s outing.
Grade: B
Darius Garland
23 points, 9-11 shooting, 5 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers
This was the type of game you’ve wanted to see from Garland. The process has been mostly good in the first two games, but the results haven’t been there. They were there on Saturday as he was aggressively knifing into the paint and confidentially taking threes when the defense gave him a little bit of daylight. It was a good reminder of how special a player he can be when he’s on his game.
The most encouraging part of Garland’s breakout was that it wasn’t due to just hitting tough shots which is what we saw from most of Garland’s good performances last season. Instead, Garland was creating good opportunities for himself based on his relocation and the pace he played with.
Like Mitchell, Garland’s grade would’ve been a little higher if it wasn’t for some of his unnecessary turnovers.
Grade: A
Jarrett Allen
23 points, 10-10 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist
This was once again a typical, good Allen game. He dominated rookie Alex Sarr and veteran Jonas Valančiūnas inside. He converted every opportunity in the paint while playing great defense.
Allen’s assist to Garland in the third quarter is one thing that stood out. Allen has consistently shown to be a good passer, but it’s been difficult to showcase that skill when he’s playing with Mobley due to the spacing concerns. Using him at the top of the arc with four shooters around him is something I’d like to see more of considering how well he did things like this in the middle of the last season.
This pass to Garland after pump faking to the corner was exceptional. It’s also a good example of the off-ball movement I mentioned about Garland earlier.
Grade: A+
Dean Wade
2 points, 1-4 shooting, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Stacking strong, assertive offensive performances has been an issue for Wade. He was exceptional against the Detroit Pistons. Not so much against the Wizards as he passed up a few open looks on the perimeter.
The defense was still great. He was a large part of the reason Kyle Kuzma went 3-16 from the field. And he played a role in the starters’ best game together. That can’t be overlooked just because he was gun-shy on offense.
Grade: C+
Caris LeVert
10 points, 3-4 shooting, 4 assists, 2 blocks
LeVert remains a pleasant surprise for the Cavs. He’s playing much freer and more assertive in Kenny Atkinson’s system. This has allowed him to be the best version of himself while still playing his game.
This wasn’t an impressive performance from a stat’s perspective, but it was a game the Cavs would sign up for every night.
Grade: B+
Sam Merrill
11 points, 3-8 shooting, 3-7 from three, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Merrill needed this game after starting the season 1-7 from three. He had a tough opening half as he missed his first four shots but turned it around by going 3-4 from deep in the second half.
He’s also developing some nice chemistry with Mobley similar to what he had with his brother Isaiah with the Charge in 2022-23. I’m interested to see how that pairing continues to grow.
Atkinson is giving Merrill an opportunity to show that he’s a quality rotation player. It was good to see him have a strong showing like he did against Washington.
Grade: B+
Georges Niang
3 points, 1-7 shooting, 1-6 from three, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
Niang didn’t have his shot going, but he still found a way to be a contributor on the glass. That allowed him to be productive on a day he was off.
Grade: C
Isaac Okoro
4 points, 0-4 shooting, 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 steals
Okoro passed up on a few three-point attempts that would’ve made his stats look a little better. He did draw a nice shooting foul in transition which was nice to see.
Okoro is figuring out how he fits into Atkinson’s offense. This wasn’t a step back, but it also wasn’t a step forward either.
Grade: C
Ty Jerome
14 points, 4-6 shooting, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover
Jerome continues to stat pad in garbage time. He did so here again as 12 of his 14 points came in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided. That said, Jerome did play well during his run in the second quarter. He continues to make a strong case for why he should be higher up in the rotation.