Player Grades: Cavs at Hawks – Evan Mobley makes progress despite frustrations

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers returned from the holiday with a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Grades are based on our expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

42 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds

Mitchell was incredible. You can gripe with his shot selection. Maybe you think he presses the issue. But the results speak for themselves. 42 points on above 50% shooting (even after a pair of desperation shots in the final minute) is nothing short of spectacular.

Grade: A

Darius Garland

15 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds

This might have been a fine game from Garland through the first three quarters. But it was a borderline disaster in the closing minutes. Multiple turnovers and some bad gambles on defense put this game in Atlanta’s favor.

Grade: C-

Evan Mobley

20 points, 7 assists, 14 rebounds

Mobley’s operating with a spotlight on him. Everyone is waiting for him to make ‘the leap.’ Don’t miss the subtle progression he’s made along the way. He shot the ball poorly, but Mobley had his fingerprints all over Cleveland’s fourth-quarter rally. They nearly won this game because of him. A near triple-double with four stocks is nothing to ignore.

Grade: A-

Support us and rep Evan Mobley with Homage!

We’ve partnered with Homage to help provide Cavs fans with the best gear. Anything bought from the links below helps support Fear the Sword while also allowing you to rep the Cavs. You can also shop all Homage Cavs gear HERE.

• You can grab the Mobley shirt seen above HERE.

• The Mobley trading card shirt can be bought HERE.

Jarrett Allen

8 points, 1 assist, 8 rebounds

Allen was hard to find tonight. He didn’t feel overly impactful at any point.

Grade: D+

Jaylon Tyson

9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Tyson makes things happen. He was erratic from the floor, shooting 3-10, but he made some crucial hustle plays to keep the Cavs within striking distance.

Grade: C+

De’Andre Hunter

16 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds

At this point, Hunter is one of the only consistent positives for Cleveland. At least as a shot creator. He connected on 6-of-9 attempts tonight and honestly, might deserve an even larger role in the offense. The Cavs are desperate for volume scoring outside of Mitchell.

Grade: A-

Lonzo Ball

3 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds

We understand that Ball can impact the game without scoring, but this is testing our patience. He’s one of the least efficient players in basketball and the additional playmaking hasn’t been enough to counter this on a nightly basis.

Grade: D+

Dean Wade

5 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

Wade grabbed two offensive rebounds and hit a three. Not much else is worth talking about. You know the drill.

Grade: C-

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

5 points, 0 assists, 1 rebound

Other than experience, there isn’t an argument for keeping Tomlin out of the rotation. He’s performed better than any other backup forward on the roster. The Cavs should offer him a standard contract and rip off the band-aid with their other options.

I understand the box score doesn’t totally reflect this. If you watched the game, you saw how much more active and engaged Tomlin is compared to his peers.

Grade: A–

Larry Nance Jr.

0 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

I hate to say this, as someone who was extremely excited about Nance’s return to Cleveland. But… junior might not have it anymore. This is getting hard to watch.

Grade: F