Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks player grades

Player grades for the Cavaliers’ win over the Knicks are below. Be sure to share yours in the comments below!

LeBron James: A-

James started this game off a bit slow. But he hit a big shot late, helped keep the offense running late when the Cavs needed someone to dictate things and handed Enes Kanter two Ls in one day. Not a bad day’s work.

Kevin Love: F

Love was downright awful in this game. He couldn’t defend either Kristaps Porzingis or Enes Kanter and never settled into a groove on offense. He didn’t close the game when the Cavs made a comeback, and he didn’t deserve to be.

Dwyane Wade: B

Wade struggled to make a few open looks, but he made a few little plays on defense and on the glass when the Cavs needed him. 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists with a +/- of +13 is a solid performance.

J.R. Smith: B

Smith wasn’t as hot from three as he has been in recent games, but he still made two against the Knicks and played solid defense. Not his best night, but still better than his early season performances.

Jae Crowder: B-

On one hand, Crowder guarded Kristaps Porzingis as well as any 6’6” forward could. He also made two threes and looked more confident. On the other hand, he had a team-worst plus/minus of -17. The Cavs have to hope the positives carry over more so than the negatives and that he builds on his performance against the Knicks and his second half against the Mavericks.

Iman Shumpert: D

Shumpert still was decent on defense, but had five turnovers against zero assists and missed all four of his shots. This was his worst game since stepping in for the injured Derrick Rose.

Channing Frye: B+

The Cavs could not have asked for anything more out of Frye. He filled in for Love by battling on defense and on the glass, made three of his six three-point attempts and was part of the group that won the Cavs the game. He made the case for more consistent minutes off the bench.

Kyle Korver: A+

19 fourth quarter points for Korver saved the game for the Cavs. That’s two games in a row where he’s been the hero.

Jeff Green: B-

Green was good on defense against the Knicks, and grabbed some rebounds, but struggled to score. A 2-7 shooting night where he only got to the line twice is not what the Cavs were looking for.

Cedi Osman: B

He still had a deer in the headlights look, but he made a three-pointer and played hard in his six minutes. Would it hurt to play him 12-15 minutes a night?

Isaiah Thomas: A+++

He picked up a technical while supporting his teammates from the bench and shimmied as the comeback was on. He already fits in!