Player Grades: Cavs vs Lakers - Jarrett Allen stifles Lakers offense
Donovan Mitchell came out aggressive and left the Lakers behind early
The Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 5-0 after opening the game strong and never letting the Lakers whiff a comeback.
The grades are based on what our expectations are for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
24 points (10-20 shooting), 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals
It became apparent from the tip-off that Mitchell was going to make his mark early. Mitchell frequently got the inbound, strolled up to the perimeter, and just fired away. It immediately put the Lakers in a bad position and his aggression really rose the tide for this offense and put this game in jeopardy for the Lakers early.
Grade: A+
Evan Mobley
25 points (12-16 shooting), 5 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 5 fouls
Mobley’s stat line is more impressive than the tape itself. Mobley was a big benefactor of the garbage time as he scored 17 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. Mobley was in foul trouble early racking up four fouls which allowed him to only play 12 minutes in the first three quarters. While it is nice to see Mobley aggressive, against the likes of Jaxson Hayes and Max Christie, it wasn’t enough to warrant a great grade.
Grade: B
Darius Garland
12 points (5-14 shooting), 10 assists, 2 steals
Garland was steady tonight coming off the heels of his offensive explosion against the Knicks. While he was not a human torch against the Lakers, Garland did do a great job of navigating the Lakers’ defense and finding quality looks for all of his teammates. Garland doesn’t need to score 30+ points a night to make an impact, especially when he is putting his teammates in the right spots.
Grade: B+
Jarrett Allen
20 points (9-12 shooting), 17 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist
A quintessential great Jarrett Allen game. Allen was a force on both ends of the floor. He was the Lakers’ worst nightmare: whether stifling the Lakers’ attempts at the rim (I don’t know if Rui ever recovered), or having his way with the mismatches the Lakers had him with. Games like this are a reminder of why you do not swap Jarret Allen for Brandon Ingram or someone similar in the offseason. He is a special center that when he is on and is a serious disruptor.
Grade: A+
Dean Wade
8 points (3-7 shooting), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
A fine Wade game in the sense that while his shots were not often, his defense was. Wade was a menace to the Lakers personnel. He was disrupting passing lanes, ripping the ball from LeBron’s hands, and stifling perimeter players. Games like this show why Wade is more layered than the average fan might think.
Grade: B
Caris LeVert
16 points (6-8 shooting), 6 assists, 1 steal
A best-case scenario on the LeVert pendulum. LeVert was controlled, deliberate, and decisive. He continued riding his hot three-point stretch (4-6 shooting) and took them within the rhythm of the offense. Not only was LeVert scoring but also setting up the bigs with some crafty assists when driving the rim.
Grade: A
Sam Merrill
3 points (1-4 shooting), 3 assists, 2 steals
Not the best Merrill game, while the shooting hasn’t fully arrived yet it is clear that the staff likes what else Merrill brings to the table. He can be a great secondary playmaker and has some stretches defensively that can surprise. His basketball IQ allows for Merrill to be much more than a simple shooter.
Grade: C
Georges Niang
5 points (2-4 shooting), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Niang was doing decent work against the Lakers. While his shot was not necessary in this win, Niang was providing good help defense, and being a pest to opposing players. This is good impact for a player that didn’t need to light it up.
Grade: C+
Isaac Okoro
3 points (1-3 shooting), 1 steal, 5 fouls
Okoro had a lot of play in this one. With 20 minutes to show for it, Okoro did simply not play well. Okoro was often an afterthought on offense and the defense was not notable enough to draw big plays to boost the grade. I think Okoro will turn it around eventually, but when the team is firing on all cylinders and he is the odd one out, it’s not a great look.
Grade: D
Ty Jerome
14 points (5-7 shooting), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
Jerome did not get a lot of meaningful minutes in this game. Like Mobley, Jerome is a beneficiary of garbage time in the fourth quarter. Outside of some run in the second quarter, Jerome mostly garnered his stats in the fourth quarter. It is nice to see though that the shot is still falling though.