Cleveland Cavaliers at Minnesota Timberwolves player grades: Good Jordan Clarkson exists

Player grades for Friday’s Cavs-Wolves game are below. As always, be sure to share yours in the comments.

Kevin Love: A

It’s fitting that Kevin Love got back to posting a 25-point, 19-rebound, seven-assist night in his old stomping grounds. A 6-19 night from the field isn’t ideal, and Love missed some makable looks, but he made up for by going 10-10 from the line.

Cedi Osman: A

Twenty-two points, eight assists and and a 4-7 night from three keep the Osman hype train moving along at full speed. Throw two games, the Cavs could not be asking for of Osman and it’s going to be fascinating to see where he goes from here.

Collin Sexton: A-

Sexton’s penchant for long twos isn’t great. But in his game, he showcased his athleticism, his ability to get to the rim and the dynamic skill set that made the Cavs pick him in this year’s draft. He earned his spot on the floor in crunch time ahead of George Hill.

Rodney Hood: C

Hood played 29 minutes, but never really made his mark on the game. He missed a number of open shots at the rim too.

Tristan Thompson: B+

Thompson did as well as you could have hoped against Karl-Anthony Towns and finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He looks bouncy again too. Maybe 2016 era Thompson is really back?

George Hill: C

Hill was fine, but was deservedly off the floor late in place of Sexton. If he’s not directly impacting the game in a positive, noticeable way, it’s harder to justify him playing a ton.

Jordan Clarkson: A-

The shot selection was, per usual, a bit shaky. But he made a ton of hard shots against the Wolves and provided some offensive juice when Cleveland looked out of sorts. He also battled on defense, using his length in a way that he hasn’t always in the past. This is what good Jordan Clarkson looks like.

J.R. Smith: N/A

Smith wasn’t supposed to play and then played four minutes in the first half and then never came back? Weird.

Sam Dekker: C-

Dekker did make a catch-and-shoot three-pointer in this game. But he struggled on defense in this game and left with a head injury in the second half.

Kyle Korver: N/A

Could five minutes for Korver be the new norm?

Ante Zizic: B-

Defensively, Zizic got lost a few times. But he moved well on offense, used his frame well and is making a decent case for himself to play when Larry Nance Jr. returns from his ankle sprain. Would it be the worst thing in the world if played ahead of Dekker once everyone is healthy?