Player Grades: Cavs vs Mavs
Merrill was on fire.
It feels rude kicking the Dallas Mavericks while they are down. But the Cleveland Cavaliers showed no mercy in this 43-point blowout which featured multiple franchise records.
Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Sam Merrill
27 points (9-14 shooting), 1 rebounds
The Cavs set a franchise record for three-pointers. Sam Merrill is largely responsible for this. He buried 9 three-pointers in just 20 minutes of playing time — delivering one of the best games of his career.
Merrill hasn’t been able to replicate his high-volume efficiency from last season. Perhaps this game will get him back on track. His ability to catch-and-shoot rivals the best of the best in today’s NBA. Tonight was a pleasant reminder that Merrill can still get hot in a hurry.
Grade: A+++
Donovan Mitchell
12 points (4-9 shooting), 6 assists, 6 rebounds
If Mitchell finishes a game with only 12 points, that means something either went horribly wrong or emphatically right. Tonight it was the latter. The Cavaliers jumped out to a 20-point lead within the first few minutes of the game and Mitchell only had to coast through the rest.
Grade: A+
Darius Garland
17 points (6-8 shooting), 10 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
This was (probably) the fastest double-double of Garland’s career. A hyper-efficient 17 points and 10 assists in just 23 minutes of playing time is the perfect representation of the season Garland is having.
Grade: A+
Evan Mobley
22 points (8-12 shooting), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks
This was a tough game for Dallas to be without their usual frontcourt rotation. Mobley found it far too easy to burrow into the paint and wreak havoc. There was nothing Kylor Kelley or Kessler Edwards could do to slow him down.
Grade: A+
Jarrett Allen
14 points (6-8 shooting), 9 rebounds, 2 blocks
Allen gave Dallas too much to handle in the paint. His monster two-way sequence in the third quarter was the exclamation point on this beatdown. A huge rejection on one end that led to a crushing dunk on the other. This was a superb game from Allen in just 20 minutes.
Grade: A+
Max Strus
9 points (3-5 shooting), 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Strus has increasingly looked more like the connective two-way presence he was last season as this current season goes on. He’s found his groove from deep as of late and the defense is starting to become a difference-maker after a brief skid from the Cavaliers.
Grade: A+
Georges Niang
13 points (5-7 shooting), 2 rebounds, 1 assist
If you can’t tell by now, everyone is getting an A+ grade for this game. It’s hard to argue anyone deserves a snub after winning by 40+ points. Niang contributed three three-pointers to the franchise-breaking total. That’s good enough, in my book.
Grade: A+
Ty Jerome
12 points (5-12 shooting), 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals,
A red-hot game from Jerome would have blown the roof off Rocket Mortgage. Fortunately for the Mavs, they received a different version of Jerome. He didn’t score in bunches — but he dished the rock and managed to set the tone early by racking up live-action steals.
Again, the Cavs could do no wrong today.
Grade: A+
Jaylon Tyson
8 points (3-7 shooting), 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Okay, Tyson didn’t do all that much today. His counting stats aren’t anything to gloat about and you aren’t missing anything from the eye test.
Yet, Tyson has consistently been a positive in his recent opportunities. His on-ball defense and physicality make him a plus-contributor on that end of the floor — while his off-ball movement on offense allowed him to score easy buckets in the paint today.
Grade: A+
Caris LeVert
10 points (4-8 shooting), 5 assists, 1 steal
Finally, LeVert made his return after missing the previous seven games due to injury. His response was as good as you could have reasonably expected. The Cavs were able to ease him back into the action and he slid back into being the on-ball creator we’ve grown accustomed to.