Player Grades - Cavs vs Raptors
This game was closer than you’d expect.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took all 48 minutes to knock out the Toronto Raptors. Lackluster effort on the defensive end made this game harder than it had to be. But when the end result is your 12th straight win — there isn’t much to complain about.
Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Darius Garland
40 points (14-22 shooting), 9 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Garland told reporters after last night’s game that he believes he should be in the All-Star Game. Tonight, he solidified that agenda with an incredibly efficient 40 points and 9 assists.
This was a brilliant offensive performance. It was the most steady 40-point game I can recall, with Garland methodically working his way to the basket throughout each quarter. There wasn’t a singular stretch where he went nuclear. Instead, Garland distributed his scoring almost evenly across each quarter — and in the final moments of the game, he buried Toronto with a stepback three-pointer.
Garland is one of the league’s best players in clutch time minutes. His growth as a closer, matched with his confidence to lead the offense in Mitchell’s absence, has given Garland a near bulletproof case to be an All-Star.
Grade: A+
Evan Mobley
21 points (7-11 shooting), 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal
Pick any aspect of basketball and I can confidently tell you Mobley has improved in that area of the game. A Mobley stat line like this would have jumped off the page in previous seasons. But now? It’s not even his most impressive outing of the week.
Mobley has quickly become a nightly offensive threat. He buried three triples in this game — marking the sixth time this season he’s made 3+ three-pointers in a game. That’s something he only did once in his previous three seasons.
Just as impressive, Mobley has dished 13 assists in his last two games. His processing speed as a playmaker has always given him potential. But again, we’re seeing that potential materialize in a way it hasn’t before.
Grade: A+
Jarrett Allen
18 points (8-9 shooting), 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
It feels like Allen can do no wrong over the last few weeks. He’s been a terror for opposing frontcourts, gobbling rebounds and converting nearly everything around the rim. Since Dec. 23, Allen has blocked 12 shots and missed just 17 field goal attempts of his own.
This stretch of games has been the definition of elite rim-running. Allen is doing everything you’d hope from him — and that isn’t even including the playmaking he’s offered. Eleven assists to just 1 turnover in his last three games brings me back to my original point: it feels like Allen can do no wrong.
Grade: A+
Dean Wade
5 points (2-6 shooting), 5 rebounds, 2 assists
A more impactful Wade game could have made this one less stressful. His usual effectiveness as a defender wasn’t quite the same. Maybe that’s a product of the entire team feeling less engaged on defense — but I can’t say Wade was fully excluded. Wade’s quality contests in the second half came too little too late as Toronto had already found a groove by the time the intensity was ramped up.
To be clear, Wade was far from a turnstile on defense. But he didn’t meet the very high bar we have set for him.
Grade: C-
Max Strus
12 points (4-7 shooting), 5 assists, 3 rebounds
Let’s be real, the Cavs would be on a two-game skid if Max Strus didn’t exist. His three-point shooting was crucial against OKC and tonight, it was the momentum shifter the Cavaliers desperately needed in the fourth quarter.
Strus looks comfortable in his role as the sixth man. It’s allowed him to enter the game guns blazing without any worry of taking away shots from the core four. His scoring kept the Cavalier bench from being totally owned tonight. Best of all, Strus is able to close games even if he doesn’t start them, as he did the last two nights.
Grade: A-
Caris LeVert
18 points (6-12 shooting), 5 assists, 3 rebounds
The Cavs' defense looked out of sorts for the entire night. LeVert, unfortunately, is one of the biggest culprits behind this. He was behind on rotations and his scattered close-outs often led to full breakdowns that led to easy scoring opportunities for Toronto.
Yet still, he delivered in the scoring department. An efficient 18 points while starting in place of Donovan Mitchell kept the Cavs alive — even if his defense was a sore reason they had to fight till the end in this one.
Grade: C+
Georges Niang
8 points (3-8 shooting), 1 assist
Niang certainly didn’t help the Cavs turn things around defensively tonight. But his two three-pointers did play a role in the eventual victory. If he had been able to grab a few rebounds, perhaps he could have broken even.
Grade: D+
Ty Jerome
8 points (2-5 shooting), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
The Cavalier bench was outscored 44-30 in this game. Jerome’s inability to get rolling is part of the reason for this. Sure, we don’t expect Jerome to turn on the microwave each night like it’s still the first month of the season. But he wasn’t able to create many advantages tonight and his defensive effort was scattered.
We’ll give credit for the points he did contribute because they came at a crucial moment in the game, and all in quick succession. Still, Jerome’s defense was a bit too rough to give him a passing grade here.
Grade: C-
Isaac Okoro
0 points (0-5 shooting), 2 rebounds, 8 minutes
Okoro is still working his way back from injury, that’s for sure. The Cavs can afford a non-scoring game from Okoro now that the offense is a legitimate powerhouse. But Okoro didn’t bring the defensive juice he normally does — thus ending his night in just eight minutes.
This season has been an overall win for Okoro. He’s found success as a three-point shooter and is instrumental to their perimeter defense when he’s healthy. Tonight wasn’t his night.