The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a strong start to the season, sitting on a 2-1 record whose only blemish is a three-point loss in Toronto. They have the best point differential in the Eastern Conference with a top-5 offense and defense. They’ve looked every bit the part of a playoff team.
Part of that success has come from their bench. Cedi Osman has been lights out to start the year, shooting 57.1 percent of his 3-pointers. Robin Lopez has lived up to his “Captain Hook” moniker, scooping shots in on offense, and was a steadying addition to the rotation after the first game to provide extra rim protection.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a strong start in the 2022-23 NBA season. How should all 5 of the starters be graded through three games?
The Cavs will ultimately rise and fall, however, on the strength of their starting lineup. It’s a group that was shaken up right from the jump when Darius Garland sustained a cut on his eyelid in the second quarter of Game 1, and Isaac Okoro has been his replacement for a group even more helio-centric around Donovan Mitchell than the offense was last season around Garland.
Let’s take a look at the five players who have started the past two games: Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen. How have each of these players performed through three games this season? We’ll start with the backcourt, which features one phenomenal performer and one leaving a lot on the table.