Player Grades: Cavs vs Clippers
Allen was awesome today.
The Cleveland Cavaliers ended March with a bang. Their 127-122 win over the LA Clippers gave them an 11-5 record in the month. All things considered, we’re happy to put this behind us.
Grades are based on our expectations of each player.
Darius Garland
19 points (5-14 shooting), 7 assists, 4 rebounds
Garland attacked LA’s drop coverage all night. His scoring in the mid-range made this a tough game for Ivica Zubac to impact. Garland had Zubac frozen with his live-dribble and repeatedly created openings for others by occupying the help defense.
This wasn’t an explosive game from DG. He only scored 19 points and had some mental gaps on defense. But it was more than enough for the Cavs offense to build a cushion.
Grade: B+
Evan Mobley
22 points (8-16 shooting), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks
This was a much better performance from Mobley than the previous one. He canned three triples and showed confidence while he did it. His scoring from the perimeter gives Cleveland’s offense so much room to work with.
Mobley was also impactful on defense. It felt like he had far more than three blocks with the way he deterred so many attempts at the rim. This was a great game for Mobley’s Defensive Player of the Year agenda.
Grade: A-
Donovan Mitchell
24 points (9-19 shooting), 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals
This was one of the better all-around games Mitchell has played all season. He didn’t score in bunches but he did just about everything else. He fell just one rebound shy of matching a career-high, only days after setting a personal-best for assists in a game. This all serves to prove how much of a complete player Mitchell has become in Cleveland.
Mitchell wasn’t going scorched earth from deep today. However, his constant probing of the defense kept Cleveland in the driver’s seat. P
Grade: A+
Jarrett Allen
25 points (11-12 shooting), 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Allen took heat for Cleveland’s previous loss to the Clippers. He was thoroughly outplayed by Zubac in that meeting. That’s why it’s so impressive to see the game Allen delivered today.
This monster double-double was the second of its kind since last week. Allen was dominant against the San Antonio Spurs and replicated that performance today. He played a huge role in frustrating Zubac and controlling the paint for Cleveland.
Grade: A+
Sam Merrill
6 points (2-7 shooting), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Merrill opened the game with a pair of three-pointers. He wouldn’t hit another one for the rest of the game. This was slightly disappointing but Merrill did deliver on the defensive end. He repeatedly held his own against isolation attempts and chipped in with four rebounds.
Grade: B-
Dean Wade
5 points (2-6 shooting), 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Wade didn’t posterize anyone or clean the glass at an absurd rate today. His impact wasn’t nearly as noticeable as in the previous game. Yet, Wade made a difference when facing James Harden. The stints of Wade suppressing Harden’s drives made sure the Cavs could get over the hump today.
Grade: B
Isaac Okoro
11 points (4-5 shooting), 11 minutes
Okoro airballed his first three-point attempt. That made us worried that this game could be going in the wrong direction. From there, Okoro stepped up to knock down his next three three-poitn attempts and delivered on both ends of the floor.
The Cavs would like Okoro to be more of an event defender. That means racking up steals, blocks — or at least rebounds. His empty stat sheet today will cost him in the grades. But this was another good showing from Ice.
Grade: B
De’Andre Hunter
10 points (4-9 shooting), 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Hunter has stretches where you wish you could see more from him. His shooting has been electric since joining the Cavs. But we are still hoping for him to attack the glass, fight over screens or make the extra pass more often than not.
He’s been an overwhelming positive for this Cavs team, no doubt. But a few adjustments could make him the final piece to a championship team. That’s all.