Cavs: One stud and one dud from loss to Warriors

Cavs stud: Dean Wade

Dean Wade has carved out a solid role on this Cavaliers squad and has defended competently, and he plays the role of a stretch big man well at times. Due to the aforementioned injuries, Wade was relied upon heavily tonight and came up with big moments on both ends of the floor.

Wade, who averaged 19.2 minutes per game last season, played 40 minutes in this contest. Darius Garland led all Cleveland scorers in the first half with 18 points, but behind him was Wade with 10 points (2-of-3 from three-point range) and chipped in on the glass, and even had a couple of assists.

Where Wade truly made an impact was in the third quarter. The third-year player from Kansas State chipped in seven points but also impacted the offensive glass and even tipped in a missed free throw at the buzzer to put Cleveland up 13 points.

While the final 12 minutes weren’t the most pleasing display of basketball, it was quite encouraging to see this type of performance from Wade. His final line was 17 points (3-of-6 from beyond the arc) and nine rebounds, including five offensive boards.

Once the Cavaliers are back to full strength, Wade’s minutes will take a dip, but displays such as tonight have to give the coaching staff confidence that they can turn to Wade when they are in a bind.

While Wade’s play stood out positively, there was one particular player whose play made little-to-no impact in the game last night.