Player Grades: Cavs vs Hawks
Cavs couldn’t get a stop tonight.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their second game of the season tonight in what Kenny Atkinson called a “stinker” in his post-game presser. The defense was lackluster and the offense couldn’t make up for it in their poor showing against the Atlanta Hawks.
Grades are based on our expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
30 points (10-24), 6 assists, 4 rebounds
This was a subpar game from Mitchell most of the night. But just as he did in the previous game — Mitchell turned up the heat in the fourth quarter. He scored just 10 points in the first half before opening the final period with a barrage of scoring to put the Cavaliers back in front. Unfortunately, it was too little too late. His slow start and poor perimeter defense were too much to overcome.
Grade: B-
Evan Mobley
22 points (7-15 shooting), 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks
Unlike Mitchell, Mobley was superb for the entire night. Cleveland’s defense struggled but Mobley single-handedly gave the Hawks trouble. He recorded 22 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks.
On offense, Mobley’s steady touch kept the Cavs alive. He converted an acrobatic dunk in the first half and this emphatic and-one was a jolt of life for Cleveland when they were struggling the most. The Cavs might have dropped this game but Mobley did everything he could to deliver them a victory.
Grade: A+
Darius Garland
19 points (7-14 shooting), 7 assists, 2 rebounds
The Cavaliers needed more from Garland tonight. He wasn’t able to cover the perimeter or stop Atlanta from burying triples. Then on offense, Garland turned in a relatively quiet performance in a game that called for volume scoring. His decision-making wasn’t bad, but sometimes, you hope to see Garland be more aggressive.
Grade: C+
Jarrett Allen
17 points (6-7 shooting), 10 rebounds
Allen was great at running the rims tonight. His interior defense was strong and he converted all but one field goal attempt. The issue, however, was Atlanta forcing the Cavaliers to defend in space. Their barrage of three-point shooting was tough for Cleveland’s interior-oriented frontcourt to defend. This has been a trend for as long as the two-big lineup has been a thing. You’ll live with elite interior defense but a finer balance (in terms of closing out to shooters) is something they still hope to achieve.
Grade: C+
Isaac Okoro
8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
The Cavs have remained hopeful that Okoro can become a prototypical 3-and-D wing. The first half was proof of concept as Okoro drilled a confident-looking jumper and rolled to the rim for a handful of clean looks. Okoro entered this game in the NBA’s top 10 for three-point percentage (minimum 38 attempts) and finished the night 2-5 from deep.
Okoro was eventually moved to the bench as Cleveland attempted to match Altanta’s offensive firepower — showing that even in Okoro’s growth, there’s still more work to be done.
Grade: C
Ty Jerome
8 points (3-8 shooting), 6 assists
Jerome has been one of the best sixth men in the NBA this season. Tonight, his impact wasn’t as forceful. It was a quiet scoring night and Jerome didn’t deliver his usual typhoon at any point.
Still, his tenacity on defense led to a steal and runout opportunity in the fourth quarter that nearly sparked the comeback run. Jerome finds a way to make things happen even when he isn’t at his best.
Grade: B-
Sam Merrill
10 points (4-8 shooting), 2 rebounds
Merrill has had a hard time putting it all together in this young NBA season. He shot 2-6 from deep tonight and missed a handful of momentum-swinging jumpers. Merrill still provides value as a gravity-wielding motion shooter — but on nights like this, you wish to see a few more shots go down. The Cavalier bench was outscored 62-28 and Merrill had enough open jumpers to help change this trend.
Grade: C-
Georges Niang
8 points (3-8 shooting), 8 rebounds
Niang has not been his best over the last two games. His 1-13 shooting night against Toronto nearly cost Cleveland the game and tonight, he was borderline unplayable. The Hawks erupted from behind the arch with Niang on the floor and he was unable to respond with shots of his own. This is a game where Dean Wade would have been incredibly useful.
At least he grabbed 8 rebounds.
Grade: D-
Jaylon Tyson
2 points (1-2 shooting), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 11 minutes
Tyson clearly understands what’s going to be expected from him during his rookie season. He worked relentlessly on defense to stifle multiple Hawks possessions and did his best to fill an off-ball role next to the Cavaliers stars. Tyson has work to do before being a mainstay in the rotation but his effort on defense will keep him on Kenny Atkinson’s radar.