Jerome has been the biggest surprise of the season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers put together 48 minutes of near-perfection as they sent the Toronto Raptors home for their 17th win of the season.
Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
26 points (10-18 shooting), 4 rebounds, 1 assist
Mitchell was in coast mode for three quarters. He was mostly used as a decoy as the Raptors overloaded and worked to keep him from establishing an offensive rhythm. Mitchell played it cool — waiting until the final period to make his presence known.
It was seven straight points from Mitchell to start the fourth quarter that blew this game open. The Cavs defense galvanized around his scoring burst and as a result, they picked up a stress-free victory.
Grade: A
Ty Jerome
26 points (9-14 shooting), 6 assists, 4 steals
Jerome is on fire to start the season. His unlimited range has made him a nightly hero and tonight was no different as he notched 26+ points for the second straight time after previously never scoring more than 24 in a game for his entire career.
Jerome has found a home in Cleveland. He’s destroying second units with his shooting and playmaking. Most impressively, his active hands-on defense keeps him a constant threat to opposing ball handlers. Jerome’s four steals were huge in this win.
Grade: A+
Evan Mobley
14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Mobley has taken the Scottie Barnes matchup personally. He repeatedly denied him in their first meeting of the season and tonight, Mobley again had Barnes underwater until garbage time. It was another fantastic defensive game in a season where Mobley’s offense has taken all the buzz. Don’t take it for granted.
Grade: A
Darius Garland
16 points (6-14 shooting), 6 assists, 3 rebounds
There’s only so much to go around when the entire starting lineup is clicking like this. Garland took a backseat for most of the night, playing within himself and creating plays for others. Anything more wasn’t needed. His ability to collapse a defense and score against the drop remains a highlight of his season despite Garland’s recent struggles against Boston.
Grade: A-
Jarrett Allen
23 points (10-14 shooting), 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Do you want a monstrous defensive anchor who can run the floor and convert everything in the paint on the other end? If the answer is yes — then Allen would have made you proud tonight.
Allen’s role as the unsung hero makes Cleveland such a dominant team throughout 82 games. On any given night, he can dominate both paints and make things a nightmare for his opponent. Allen was everywhere at all the right times in this game.
Grade: A+
Isaac Okoro
10 points (4-4 shooting), 6 rebounds, 4 assists
I mentioned that Mitchell’s scoring burst in the fourth quarter galvanized Cleveland’s defense. Okoro was the primary engine of this run. He provided frenetic energy on the perimeter, stopping ball handlers in their tracks or funneling them into the two beasts in the paint.
Okoro’s on-ball defense has always been superb. But in this game, he also knocked down a pair of threes and dished four assists. This is everything you hope to see from Okoro when he’s in the starting lineup — even grabbing six rebounds.
Grade: A+
Sam Merrill
3 points (1-6 shooting), 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Merrill had numerous open attempts that would have blown the roof off the arena had they gone down. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t his night.
I can’t give Merrill a bad grade, though. His off-ball movement was effective in keeping the Raptors in motion. He routinely made good cuts and used his gravity to generate three assists. Merrill also fought on the defensive end, making it difficult for Toronto to target him.
Grade: B-
Georges Niang
2 points (1-13 shooting), 4 rebounds, 1 assist
Yeah… this was the only rough performance of the night. Niang led the team in field goal attempts through three quarters. All the while, he had only connected on one shot.
I can’t say Niang was pressing — or even that he was missing by a lot. It was a good process game from Niang that just didn’t result in anything tangible to feel good about. He’s been good to start the year but this was not his best showing.
Grade: D