Player Grades: Cavs vs. Suns
Cleveland’s season-long losing streak is now at four.
The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t get anything going on either end of the floor on Friday against the Phoenix Suns. The offense went through extended lulls and the defense was consistently bad for most of the evening. This added up to their fourth straight loss.
Grades are based on our expectations of each player.
Donovan Mitchell
7 points (2-18 shooting), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
There’s no way to sugarcoat this, Mitchell was bad. There was questionable decision-making early on that caused him to get off to a slow start. And when he did generate good looks, he didn’t convert.
You simply aren’t going to win many games when your best player misses 16 shots.
Grade: F
Evan Mobley
16 points (7-14 shooting), 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
Mobley’s stats look fine after this game, but this wasn’t a good showing. He had a tough time on the defensive end as he struggled to stay with Kevin Durant who was his primary matchup for most of the night. On top of that, Mobley wasn’t able to take away passing lanes or deter looks at the rim like he normally does. His typical defensive impact just hasn’t been there in the last few games.
There were still some good flashes. Mobley locked in on the defensive end in the fourth quarter and had a great block on Durant. But there’s no reason to act like this was anywhere close to his best.
Grade: C-
Darius Garland
18 points (8-16 shooting), 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 turnovers
The Cavs desperately needed someone to save them with their off-the-dribble scoring ability. Garland was solid, but this was a time you would’ve liked to have seen him be more assertive as an on-ball scorer.
Five turnovers are also too much for someone as skilled as Garland. Many of these were sloppy and due to a lack of concentration.
The Cavaliers lost this game because their best players didn’t show up as you’d expect. Garland was part of that.
Grade: C-
Jarrett Allen
6 points (3-4 shooting), 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assists
Allen was once again a non-factor outside of a few short bursts in the first half. This has been a recurring theme throughout this road trip.
There’s been a lack of attention to detail and effort for the Cavs' best players lately. Allen is one of the main culprits there. That’s understandable. It’s a difficult time of the season for everyone, but especially someone like Allen who’s played in every game. It may be time to give Allen some time off to recharge heading into the playoffs.
Grade: D+
Max Strus
9 points (3-5 shooting), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Strus didn’t have an outstanding game, but he’s consistently been one of the few guys to bring the effort on nearly every possession. That counts for something on nights like this.
Grade: B-
De’Andre Hunter
17 points (6-8 shooting), 1 rebound, 1 assist
Hunter hit his shots but was limited to just 22 minutes for a reason. He was a trainwreck on defense and repeatedly fell asleep in the zone which led to wide-open threes for Phoenix.
As bad as his defense was, he still should’ve received more playing time. Hunter was one of the few Cavaliers that had anything positive going on offense. Maybe a few more three-point looks would’ve got things going. That said, it isn’t too difficult to understand why Kenny Atkinson mostly kept him on the bench in the fourth quarter.
Grade: C
Ty Jerome
16 points (5-8 shooting), 5 assists, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 block
Jerome mostly did what he was supposed to do. He hit some shots, set up the offense, and created some steals on defense. You’d sign up for that every night if you were the Cavs.
Grade: B
Sam Merrill
4 points (2-7 shooting), 7 rebounds, 4 steals
Atkinson turned to Merrill late to jumpstart the offense. He played nearly eight fourth-quarter minutes and went 0-3 from three in that span. Merrill was out there to hit triples to bring them back into the game and couldn’t.
Merrill did however provide four steals and was one of the most active rebounders on the team. They needed someone with energy and he certainly had that. Unfortunately, that can only take you so far if you aren’t doing the main thing you’re on the court to do.
Grade: C-
Dean Wade
6 points (2-3 shooting)
Wade hit two threes but didn’t do much else. The Cavs needed someone to provide rebounding support and play defense. Wade didn’t do either up to his normal capabilities.
Grade: D
Isaac Okoro
10 points (3-6 shooting), 1 rebound, 1 assist
The Cavs have needed someone to provide perimeter defense, energy, and complimentary offense in these last three losses. Okoro has provided that in each of those games but hasn’t played over 16 minutes during this road trip so far. That doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Okoro did his job once again. It isn’t his fault he’s not getting the playing time he deserves.
Grade: B+
Javonte Green
3 points (1-5 shooting), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 7 minutes
Atkinson has only given Green regular rotation minutes during a “break glass in case of emergency” situation. He got his chance in the third quarter but probably should’ve gotten some run before then. This team needed the spark that someone like Green could provide.
Was Green great? No. Did he provide some much-needed energy when he was on the court? Yes. That’s about all you could hope for from Green’s minutes.