The Cleveland Cavaliers are having an excellent season, top to bottom.
They are getting contributions from a number of players up and down the roster. To illustrate the point, let's look at the team's Top 10 players by PER, a stat invented by John Hollinger that translates box score stats into an overall efficiency rating.
Before we get into the list, it's worth noting who doesn't show up in the Top 10: Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill and Max Strus, all rotation players.
One other interesting note: the classic line for "replacement level" in PER is 15; below that number it is often concerning. Now, PER was created a long time ago and other context is needed to evaluate players, but it's a rough line to use. The Cavaliers have 9 players above that line, and another eight between 10 and 15. Tristan Thompson is at 8.3, while two-way rookie Luke Travers is down at 3.5.
And Emoni Bates? Onetime elite prospect and supposed draft steal? He has a -2.7 PER. Of players who have logged at least 20 minutes this season, that ranks second-worst in the entire league, alongside Jalen Bridges of the Phoenix Suns. Not great.
Without further ado, the Top 10!
No. 10: Craig Porter Jr. - 13.6 PER
Porter Jr. has a much smaller role this season than last year, but that's more about the team being significantly healthier this season than anything else. With Ty Jerome available and Darius Garland not missing a significant amount of time, Porter has logged only 379 total minutes in 44 games.
When he has played, Porter has been solid, shooting an efficient 59.3 percent on 2-pointers and 45.5 percent from deep. He has also been active defensively, with 13 steals and 13 blocks in his limited minutes. He's not playing a large role, but when called upon he has been solid. That's exactly what you want from a third-string point guard.
No. 9: Nae'Qwan Tomlin - 15.4 PER
The 6'10" Tomlin has been on a two-way contract for the past few weeks and appeared in just three games, totaling 14 minutes. He has attempted only eight shots, making four of them, and added six rebounds. Stretch that out to 36 minutes and he would have a stat line of 26 and 15. Not bad for the rookie.
No. 8: De'Andre Hunter - 16.8 PER
De'Andre Hunter was acquired in large part because of his high-volume shooting ability, and that has played out in Cleveland. Coming off the bench for the Cavaliers, Hunter is getting up 4.8 3-pointers per game in just 24.9 minutes, shooting 48.8 percent on thos attempts. He is an average rebounder and below-average in defensive impact stats like steals and blocks, but the hyper-efficient shooting keeps his value boosted.
No. 7: JT Thor - 19.1 PER
The former Auburn Tiger big man JT Thor was dominant for the Cleveland Charge but only saw 42 total minutes for the Cavaliers, putting up 28 points and a paltry six rebounds. The Cavs waived him on March 1st and he caught on with the Washington Wizards.
No. 6: Javonte Green - 20.1 PER
The Cavaliers added former New Orleans Pelicans wing Javonte Green after he agreed to a buyout, and he has been on hand to plug into a game due to foul trouble or to give Kenny Atkinson a change-of-pace. He never gets to the line and hasn't blocked a shot, but he has gotten up a lot of 3-pointers and hit 43.8 percent of them. PER seems to like that.
No. 5: Darius Garland - 20.3 PER
If you caught a theme on the back-half of the Top 10, it was small sample size. Now we transition to five players getting a lot of minutes for the Cavaliers and performing excellently in those minutes.
Darius Garland is next up, and he is having an efficient and confident high-volume season. He leads the team in assist percentage by a significant amount at 32.1, swipes a decent amount of balls and is shooting 40.7 percent on a high rate of 3-point attempts.
No. 4: Ty Jerome - 20.3 PER
Garland is edged out by percentage points by Ty Jerome, the bench guard extraordinaire who has revived his career on the contending Cavaliers. Jerome is stroking 41.7 percent on his 3-pointers while also hitting 56.6 percent from inside the arc. His steal percentage of 2.9 percent is among the league leaders and he is second on the team in assist percentage. Jerome has been a critical part of Cleveland's success.
No. 3: Donovan Mitchell - 20.4 PER
The Cavaliers' biggest star is having another excellent season, even if his shooting has been cold over the past couple of weeks. He is shooting a gargantuan volume of 3-pointers and hitting a respectable 37 percent of them, but also has been active as a passer and steals a solid number of balls. Mitchell has certainly had more efficient offensive seasons, but he's playing well for an excellent team.
No. 2: Jarrett Allen - 21.9 PER
Another slight step up gets us to the top two on the team in PER, a stat that historically has favored big men. That plays out on the Cavaliers as well, with their two centers going 1-2 in the stat.
That starts with Jarrett Allen, who currently leads the league in field goal percentage (and true-shooting percentage, for that matter) at 70.2 percent. He is also inhaling rebounds, grabbing 19.1 percent of all available boards when he is on the court.
No. 1: Evan Mobley - 22.8 PER
Finally, Evan Mobley leads the team in PER at 22.8. He has not only added a 3-point shot but is hitting 38 percent of them, significantly boosting his value to the team. He is more active as a playmaker as well, with a 14.8 percent assist percentage. His rim protection is extremely strong and he is a really good (if not quite great) rebounder.
Put it all together, and you have the best player on the Cavaliers by PER.