Cleveland Cavaliers at Dallas Mavericks player grades

Here are grades for the Cavs’ win over the Mavericks. As always, share yours below.

LeBron James: B

LeBron wasn’t bad by any means — he had 19 points and 11 rebounds after all — but he wasn’t necessarily good either. He seemed out of rhythm and didn’t really make his mark on the game until the fourth quarter. Luckily, the Cavs didn’t need him to save them on Saturday.

Kevin Love: A

The Cavs went away from Love late, but he was otherwise excellent everywhere on the floor. He scored on a night where LeBron was off, rebounded well and fought on defense. As it so happens, leaning on Kevin Love can lead to good things!

J.R. Smith: A

10 first quarter points and a 4-9 three-point shooting night for Smith. It very much seems like he’s back.

Jae Crowder: B+

Crowder started this game off slow, missing threes and looking as out of rhythm as he has for most of this season. But he started playing better defense, driving to the rim instead of taking threes and did a lot of dirty work inside. Plus, he set a perfect screen on Wesley Matthews to get LeBron 1 vs. 1 on Dirk in the fourth. This is the Crowder the Cavs have been waiting for.

Jeff Green: B

Green didn’t match what he did against the Rockets — and how could he? — but he was still solid enough. He got to the line six times, making five attempts, and defended well against smaller, quick guards. He remains a bright spot off the Cavs’ bench.

Iman Shumpert: B

For the second straight game, Shumpert filled in well for the injured Derrick Rose. He did what he had to on offense and played hard on defense, and that’s all the Cavs really need him to be when he’s playing point guard only in name. His eight rebounds were a nice bonus.

Dwyane Wade: C-

Wade going 0-5 from the field, and taking somewhat forced shots, would typically be a sign of a useless night for him. But against the Mavs, he had three assists and kept non-LeBron bench units working.

Kyle Korver: A

Korver was having a quiet game until the fourth quarter, where he proceeded to score all 13 of his points and helped the Cavs hold off the Mavericks late. Nights like this, where he is good enough on defense and hits threes in bunches, are why he’s so valuable.

Channing Frye: C

Frye didn’t get to do much, as he played just three minutes and barely touched the ball.