4 Studs and 2 Duds from Cavaliers' nuclear destruction of the hapless Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers detonated on Friday night.

Going 9-0 to start the season is obviously impressive, and the Cavs had a couple of impressive wins, but they faced their steepest competition of the year when the Golden State Warriors rolled into town fresh off a victory in Boston over the Celtics. How would Cleveland look against a deep, elite defensive team?

The answer was that they would look the best they have looked all season.

The Cavaliers dropped 83 points in the first half, going absolutely en fuego on offense, while smothering the Warriors on defense to hold them to just 42 points. That 41-point halftime margin was the largest halftime lead in franchise history. While the Warriors chipped away at the lead in the second half with a much stronger offensive performance, they never got within striking distance, and the final score was 136-117.

Who had the best performances of the night? And who was a little shaky even in the midst of team dominance? Let's look at four Studs and two Duds from the blowout victory.

Darius Garland was a Stud

Once again it was Darius Garland leading the team in scoring, setting the tone and electrifying the home crowd with his distance shooting. He shot 9-for-17 from 3-point range, the second-most triples he's ever made in a game. On plays where the Warriors ran him off the line, he would hit teammates inside the arc for easy finishes, including a fun lob to Evan Mobley who could have done his taxes before anyone got there to contest the shot.

Where Garland has also taken a step forward is on defense, as his energy levels on that end are significantly improved. He had another three steals against the Warriors, taking advantage of their lack of ball-handlers, and overall was a +30 on the night.

Evan Mobley was a Stud

While Jarrett Allen was the big paired with Garland in Friday night's rotation, and accordingly he had a 13-12 double-double and was a +30 on the night, Evan Mobley led the way in the other pairing and had the Warriors' bigs in a binder. He shot an efficient 7-for-12 himself from the field, but he added to that an impressive 10 free-throw attempts, shooting 9-for-10 from the stripe.

He otherwise filled up the box score, pulling down four rebounds, dishing four assists along with a steal and two blocks. He was active and everywhere on defense, and the Warriors settled for too many contested 3-pointers because the paint was not open to them. His third-quarter drive and dunk was nasty.

Donovan Mitchell was a Dud

Without disparaging Spida overly much, it's fair to point out that he didn't have his best night even as his teammates were on fire. Donovan Mitchell had just 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting from the field that included only 2-for-6 from 2-point range. Mitchell only chipped in two free-throw attempts as well. He wasn't able to gain separation from the Warriors' rotation of on-ball stoppers.

Mitchell did have four assists, but those were canceled out by four turnovers, and defensively he was the weak link, resorting to four fouls when he was out of position. Mitchell's teammates carried him in this game, but he was a relatively ho-hum participant.

Isaac Okoro was a Stud

Although Dean Wade was back in the lineup after missing two games with an illness, he was eased back in off the bench and Isaac Okoro remained the starter. He responded with one of his best overall games as a professional, the primary reason Stephen Curry scored just 12 points and only got up four 3-pointers.

Okoro didn't make it easy on the other end, either, as he hit a whopping four 3-pointers on 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc, and he scored an efficient 16 points overall. His four assists were also an indication of his play in the flow of the offense; he isn't record-scratching as much any more, but either shooting with confidence or moving the ball to the right man.

Okoro finished a game-high +32 in his 27 minutes.

Sam Merrill was a Dud

One of the reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers are 10-0 with a much-improved offense is that head coach Kenny Atkinson is playing Sam Merrill consistently and making him a featured part of bench offenses. His ability to shoot 3-pointers off of a variety of movements and actions is lethal to opposing defenses.

In this game, however, Merrill just didn't have it. He shot just four times, going 1-for-4 from deep, and scored just five points. He wasn't taking advantage of extra defensive attention and hitting teammates, either; he had just one assist, and overall on the night he was -3 in his 15 minutes. He played largely with the Mitchell-Mobley pairing, and that group gave up a lot of ground in the second half. In a great start to the season for Merrill, this one wasn't his bright spot.

Ty Jerome was a Stud

The health of backup point guard Ty Jerome has been an underrated storyline in the midst of the Cavaliers' 10-0 start, but the former national champion at Virginia is having a career year as he returned fully healthy after missing essentially all of last season with a nasty ankle injury.

Jerome had his best showing on Friday night, torching his former team to the tune of 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting, including 3-for-3 from long-range. He pulled up confidently from multiple feet behind the line during the Cavs' blitz in the second quarter, illustrating both how much he was feeling it and how good he feels a full year removed from the injury.

The Cavaliers' dominance of the Warriors was driven by their starting group, but it was a total team effort in crushing a top-tier opponent and continuing Cleveland's romp through the start of the season. It's been an impressive start, and the Cavs are getting contributions from up-and-down the roster.