Cavs: Grades are top of the class for team on the rise

Jarrett Allen Grade: B+

Allen had a great week as well. He scored in double digits in all three games. His best production came in the game that the team lost where he had 13 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. His minutes have been cut a bit this week as well, also. In the last two games the coaches have kept his minutes under thirty. He was pushing 38 minutes a few times this season and that seems to be tough on Allen.

Darius Garland Grade: A

In the big, lopsided win against the Pistons, Darius Garland went for 21 points with seven assists and was a plus-29 when he was on the floor. He too was very steady from the three-point line going four-for-nine on the evening.

Garland has been very consistent in almost all categories this year. His scoring average is approaching 17 points a game, and he scored above that this past week. He’s shooting more three-pointers as well and keeping his average north of 40 percent. His overall shooting percentage is climbing this season as well at 48.7 percent. And he has also been rock solid from the free throw line. In the big comeback win, he went six for six from the line to help the Cavs gain the victory.

Isaac Okoro Grade: C

Isaac Okoro is coming back from an injury so I’ll give him a bit of a break this week, but his production needs to be much better moving forward if he wants to stay a starter. His minutes shrunk as the week went on and I wonder how long he’ll stay in as the starter?

He had two games in the last three where he only scored two points. He did have a nine-point game in the win against the Pistons and also pulled down nine boards.

For the season, Okoro hasn’t had a double digit scoring game. As a starter you’d expect to see some better scoring from him but that hasn’t happened yet. Considering too that Okoro has gone off for 32 points in a career-best game in a contest against the Phoenix Suns last season, scoring two points isn’t enough now.

Dean Wade Grade: B

Considering Dean Wade has been the emergency substitute with the absence of both Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen, he has stepped in and done very well. Wade’s a great defender and has really helped the Cavaliers get to this point this season. When he was taken out late in the loss to the Wizards, I believe that was the difference in the outcome of the game. The Cavs were up by six points at that moment and lost the lead after Wade went out of the game.

Wade has never, in his career, blown up the stat sheet but his contributions on defense is his claim to fame. It’s the little things this past week that keep bringing me back to why he’s so important to the team. He understands the ins and outs of the game. He had two great assists this past week in games that show his understanding of the offense too.

He hit Jarrett Allen twice with assists;  one was a beautifully placed lob pass that Allen flushed home. He followed that up with a nifty bounce pass to Allen that he finished with a layup.