Player Grades: Cavs at Blazers

Garland has blossomed into a closer.

The Cleveland Cavaliers started this West Coast road trip in the gutter. But because of a handful of strong performances tonight, they ended it with their heads held high. Darius Garland closed the doors on Portland as the Cavs won their second straight game.

Grades are based on our expectations of each player.

Darius Garland

27 points (11-19 shooting), 8 assists, 5 rebounds

This was a throwback game from Garland. No, I don’t mean a throwback DG game. I mean, a throwback in the sense that Garland only attempted three three-pointers but instead diced up the Portland defense like a 2000s-era All-Star point guard.

Garland put on a clinic tonight. He wielded a lethal dribble with crafty footwork to put the Blazers in a blender. His interior scoring was a sight to behold as not even Donovan Clingan could deter Garland from finishing at the rim.

This game was in contention with a few minutes left. Garland made sure that wouldn’t last long. He was surgical in the final minutes, stringing together seven straight points before burying a corner jumper to extend the lead to 12 points.

Garland’s growth as the closer has come out of nowhere. This is a man who previously struggled in the waning moments of games. That’s the case no longer. Garland is the best closer in the Land and one of the best in the entire association.

Grade: A+

Evan Mobley

21 points (8-15 shooting), 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks

Mobley looked like a player who was well aware of the Defensive Player of the Year race tonight. He was phenomenal at the rim, collecting 4 blocks and securing defensive stops with 11 defensive boards.

But we know Mobley can defend with the best of them. It’s his growth on offense that continues to impress me. Mobley scored 21 points on 15 shots, forcing his way to the rim for a thunderous dunk in the second half. This power move to the basket is something we just didn’t see from Mobley in years previous.

Grade: A+

Ty Jerome

25 points (9-15 shooting), 3 assists, 2 rebounds

You’ve seen this before. Garland or Mitchell are out with an injury, so Jerome steps up for a huge game. He put up 25 points in just 21 minutes.

No one expected this before the season. But Jerome has been as consistent as you could imagine in this scenario. He was torching Portland in the third quarter with a handful of tough three-pointers and his ever-impressive touch around the rim. Jerome’s floater and aggressive euro step don’t look like they should be effective. Yet, they are.

Grade: A+

Jarrett Allen

14 points (6-11 shooting), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

We didn’t see a monstrous double-double from Allen tonight, but we did see an effective fourth quarter from the big man. He ran the floor repeatedly for good looks at the rim and was rewarded for it.

Allen scored eight of his 14 points in the final frame. This was crucial to the game-sealing run that put Cleveland in the driver’s seat.

Grade: A-

Max Strus

5 points (2-6 shooting), 3 assists, 2 rebounds

Strus didn’t necessarily have it going from any aspect tonight. It was an off-game from three (1-4) and he only attempted two other field goals. Even his usual role as tertiary playmaker was a bit blunted tonight.

Nonetheless, I can’t think of anything Strus did that was actively bad. He was fine on defense and continued to provide spacing on offense, even if the results aren’t as tangible.

Grade: C

Sam Merrill

14 points (5-7 shooting), 3 assists, 2 rebounds

Merrill has had a stretch of doing everything but nailing three-pointers. So the fact that he hit four three-pointers tonight while passing even on defense and dishing three assists was a delight.

Grade: A+

Dean Wade

3 points (1-2 shooting), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 blocks

You know what you’re looking at at this point. Wade didn’t stuff the statsheet, but he provided the versatile wing defense that made him part of one of Cleveland’s best lineups in the fourth quarter. His two blocks and switchability on the perimeter make Wade a consistent positive.

Grade: B-

Isaac Okoro

2 points (1-3 shooting), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

The Cavs got a bunch of good stuff from Okoro today, even if he airballed a corner three to start the game.

Okoro was active on defense, forcing Portland into a key turnover during their second-half rally and repeatedly attacking closeouts for two big assists in the closing stretch. I’d like to see him hit a three-pointer but Okoro’s on-ball creation was legit plus.

Grade: B+

De’Andre Hunter

11 points (5-10 shooting), 3 rebounds, 1 steal

Hunter has proven he can score efficiently. That alone makes him a great addition to the Cavs. Still, we are waiting for him to be a consistent perimeter defender and more of a factor on the glass. Three boards tonight isn’t bad but his screen navigation was tough to watch.

Hunter has all the tools. He just has to apply himself. We’ve seen him do it at times already in a Cavs uniform. So let’s be clear — we aren’t getting buyer’s remorse. But this is something that will continue to factor into his grades.

Grade: B

Javonte Green

0 points (0-0 shooting), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 7 minutes

Green is a break glass in case of emergency guy. Today, Kenny Atkinson turned to Green for a boost of energy during a lackluster stretch of the first half. I can’t say it changed much. Green was active but it didn’t result in anything game-changing. There’s no sense in sweating it. Green isn’t going to be relied upon too heavily.

Grade: C-