Cavs' 2021 first-round draft pick Evan Mobley would be sidelined ..."/> Cavs' 2021 first-round draft pick Evan Mobley would be sidelined ..."/> Cavs' 2021 first-round draft pick Evan Mobley would be sidelined ..."/>
King James Gospel
Fansided

Cavs: 2 studs and a dud from loss to Nets

By Justin Brownlow

Ricky Rubio, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
Ricky Rubio, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images /
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Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images /

Stud: Dean Wade

The only player on the team to finish with a positive rating (+4) on the night was none other than Dean Wade. If you check the box score after the game, nothing about Wade jumps out at you. However, he was a crucial cog last night, especially on defense. He was tasked with guarding Kevin Durant when he was on the floor, and oddly enough, kept Durant in the negative. KD was a -4 for the game last night, the only starter on the Nets not to receive a positive rating. So, when he was on the floor, Wade put forth a ton of effort in locking down Durant. Wade is absolutely a player that will be crucial for the Cavs with this latest string of injuries.

Dean Wade is also incredibly valuable on the offensive end of the court. Last night he only had  11 points, but in doing so he shot 3-of-8 from the field and 2-of-6 from three-point range. When he was open and tasked with hitting a shot, he delivered multiple times. Overall, Wade’s stat line is good across the board. He finished the game with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. It’s safe to say, Wade was not the reason the Cavs lost last night.

Stud: Darius Garland

Darius Garland may not have been at his best last night, but he was still the floor general for the Cavs when he was on the court. On the game Garland had 24 points on 10-of-26 shooting. Yes, Garland took 26 shots last night, with 13 of them being from three-point range. While his percentage was low, this is the kind of shot volume the Cavs need from Garland. If he is to truly take the next step and become one of the best young point guards in the NBA, he needs to shoot, and attack the rim more often.

Now Garland is a great distributor, but with Collin Sexton, Jarrett Allen, Lauri Markkanen, and Evan Mobley all sidelined, he needs to step up and be more of a scorer. The Cavs will have to make a tough decision on Collin Sexton this offseason, but that won’t be the case with Garland. He’s a great floor general and distributor, and with Sexton out, he’s their best choice on the offensive end. So for right now, I say, let it fly my man. Let it fly DG.