1 stud, 1 dud for Cavaliers from their blowout win over Sixers on WED

Cavaliers stud from Wednesday’s win: Caris LeVert

Caris LeVert began the year by scoring double digits in Cleveland’s first five games, including 41 points in Boston at the Celtics.

Then after just scoring a point against the New York Knicks, he opened November by scoring at least 11 points in six of seven games. However, LeVert would go cold in the next three games and then suffered an ankle injury against the Miami Heat that caused him to miss the next four games.

LeVert had a rough outing on Monday against Toronto, shooting just 2-of-9 from the floor.

But, he came out of the gates more determined on Wednesday night in his bench minutes (where he’s now at in the Cavs rotation). His first basket was a fastbreak dunk, setting the tone for the rest of his night. He finished the first half a perfect 5-of-5 with 13 points.

Most importantly, LeVert looked confident when shooting the ball from outside and driving to the basket. When LeVert goes from point A to point B off the dribble, he typically can get what he wants near the basket, given his natural slashing capabilities. However, he tends to get into trouble when he starts dribbling excessively and attempts too many hesitation moves.

LeVert would finish the game 8-of-11 shooting for a team-high 22 points and hitting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.

While Cleveland’s success on the offensive side of the floor starts with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, LeVert is a crucial component of the Cavaliers offense when he is in there.

LeVert being able to hit shots from all levels and pulling defenders away from Garland and Mitchell is important still for stretches. Caris will likely have his ups and downs throughout the season, but last night’s performance was encouraging.

Also, an honorable mention goes to Mamadi Diakite, who started for the Cavaliers on Wednesday night with Lamar Stevens not quite back yet. The third-year forward out of Virginia got just his fourth career start last night and played well for what the Cavaliers asked of him as a two-way player, in particular.

Diakite hit a pair of three-pointers and played quality defense in his 22 minutes of action last night. The fact that J.B. Bickerstaff can rely on Diakite at times will help Cleveland’s depth moving forward, as Diakite is a versatile wing player.