Player Grades: Cavs vs Blazers – Donovan Mitchell can’t always be Superman

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers lost 122-110 to the Portland Trail Blazers. This one was hard to watch.

Donovan Mitchell

33 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds

This wasn’t a bad Mitchell game by any means. But it wasn’t the superhuman, heroic game we’ve seen in the past. His 33 points came at a costly 26 shots. And to no fault of Mitchell himself, that’s not enough for the Cavs right now.

“Tonight was probably one of two games all year that he hasn’t played like Superman,” Kenny Atkinson said after the game. “He was just good, but we need him to be Superman every night.”

There’s only so much Mitchell can do. He’s carried the team with his scoring through 23 games, but at some point, someone needs to step up and help. They can’t rely on him this heavily.

Grade: A-

Darius Garland

6 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds

Garland isn’t moving well. That’s a plain and simple fact. He’s struggling to move up and down the court, and this has looked glaring when compounded by the Cavs’ all-around lack of effort.

Grade: F

Evan Mobley

23 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 steals

Mobley opened this game on fire, shooting 4-7 in the first quarter. He only took 7 shots the rest of the way. This has been a recurring and frustrating theme. Nonetheless, it was an efficient 23 points to go with 5 huge blocks and 2 steals. This was an incredible defensive game from Mobley, and an offensive game that left you wanting just a little more.

Grade: A+

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Jaylon Tyson

14 points, 2 assists, 7 rebounds

If watching these games gets you frustrated, and you’re looking for something to feel good about, just watch Tyson on nearly every play. He’s got the goods, and he plays like a young and hungry sophomore.

Grade: A-

De’Andre Hunter

10 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

Last week, we sang Hunter’s praises as the finer aspects of his game appeared to be polished. He’s regressed a bit since then. Falling into old habits and generally looking disinterested tonight.

Grade: F

Craig Porter Jr.

0 points, 2 assists, 0 rebounds

Porter only played 10 minutes tonight and went 0-1 from the floor. Considering how actively damaging Ball was, there probably should have been more minutes given to CPJ — even if he wasn’t super effective in the limited run he got.

Grade: B–

Dean Wade

0 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound

Wade picked things up defensively tonight, but he remains in a cold spell from deep.

Grade: D+

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

7 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds

Tomlin plays hard, as we’ve celebrated on this blog all season long. But certain things can’t be solved by playing hard. Inexperience is one of them. Tomlin might not have been part of the effort issue tonight, but he blew multiple defensive rotations and looked off Donovan Mitchell for an open three-pointer, instead opting for a jumper of his own — which he missed.

Still, Tomlin’s effort is something that makes him a positive contributor. It’s just worth highlighting that the Cavs’ issues are deeper than just effort, at the moment.

Grade: B

Lonzo Ball

3 points, 2 assists, 7 rebounds

Ball is in a funk. His defense is far below what was advertised, and his shooting has somehow been worse. He shot 1-9 tonight, including a groan-inducing brick in transition during the fourth quarter.

Grade: F

Thomas Bryant

14 points, 0 assists, 6 rebounds

Bryant changed everything about this game. Seriously. His commitment to screaming after every play is admirable, and it helped turn the momentum back into Cleveland’s favor for a brief moment.

Grade: A+