Player Grades: Cavs vs Magic – Donovan Mitchell erupts again

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic behind yet another offensive explosion from Donovan Mitchell.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

45 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds

Mitchell was in attack mode again tonight. He scored 26 points in the first half, burying 4-of-5 three-point attempts in his first 17 minutes. His hot shooting helped the Cavaliers claw back from an early deficit and reclaim momentum.

Mitchell continued to score into the second half, finishing with 45 points and improving the Cavs’ record to 11-1 when he scores 35+ points.

Grade: A+

Evan Mobley

20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks

Mobley is looking more spry and agile by the day. He’s moving around the court with the confidence he hasn’t always shown. It doesn’t feel like anyone can stop Mobley from getting to his spots right now. I’ve been wanting to type that sentence for years.

Grade: A+

Support us and rep Evan Mobley with Homage!

We’ve partnered with Homage to help provide Cavs fans with the best gear. Anything bought from the links below helps support Fear the Sword while also allowing you to rep the Cavs. You can also shop all Homage Cavs gear HERE.

• You can grab the Mobley shirt seen above HERE.
• The Mobley trading card shirt can be bought HERE.

Jaylon Tyson

14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

The Cavs have a rising star in Tyson. He once again made an impact on both ends of the floor, playing defense, bulldozing his way into the paint, and connecting on three-point jumpers with efficiency.

Grade: A+

Craig Porter Jr.

4 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds

Porter looked especially quick tonight as the Magic double-teamed Mitchell and left him with openings to attack. This led to Porter getting into the paint and finding his teammates for BLANK assists.

Grade: B+

Lonzo Ball

0 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

This wasn’t anything crazy, but Ball has probably played two of his better games as a Cavalier in his two latest against the Magic. Aside from being part of a brutal lineup in the first quarter (featuring Ball, Tomlin, Proctor, Porter, and Nance), Ball held his own tonight.

Grade: C+

Jarrett Allen

9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

I don’t think his teammates did a great job of getting him the ball, but Allen was effective every time he got a touch. He shot 4-6 from the floor and was aggressive with all of his opportunities.

Grade: B+

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Tomlin is facing a make-or-break moment. His minutes have seen diminishing returns as opponents ignore him from the three-point line. He started the game 1-5 from the floor as the Magic left him wide open from the corner and packed the paint on his drives.

He found a way to break free for a moment in the second half, but he’ll have to develop into a more consistent shooter for him to take the next step.

Grade: C-

Dean Wade

6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Wade turned in another quality performance. Strong defense, solid rebounding, and a positive impact on the Cavalier offense despite shooting 0-2 from three.

Grade: A–

Tyrese Proctor

6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Kenny Atkinson can’t stop talking about Proctor’s “moxy” on the basketball court. The kid has confidence, and he showed it tonight by hitting a big-time three-pointer in the second half and ripping the ball away from the Magic for a backbreaking steal.

Grade: A