Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls player grades: When it’s bad, it’s really bad

The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped a home game to the lowly Chicago Bulls, and the second half was not pretty. There were a couple good performances, but no one really defended and the guys who struggled were abysmal. Sound off in the comments, but this was a blowout home loss to the team with the worst net rating in the NBA.

Collin Sexton: D-

There’s just not much here to be happy with right now. Sexton was 3-16 from the field, and only two of the attempts were three pointers. He didn’t attempt a free throw. He’s not turning the ball over, which is nice, but the way he plays basketball right now is almost impossible to square with the modern NBA game. He dribbles the air out of the ball and dooms possessions, and in general seems to be disconnected from teammates he shares the court with. He and Nance have not figured out a way to play an effective two-man game.

Cedi Osman: B

This was a positive performance from Cedi Osman, though he’s not contributing on the defensive end like some of us may have hoped. He continues to attempt threes, and made two of them, while attacking the basket. Unlike Sexton, he tries to do things you need NBA wings to do. On nights like tonight, it works. He finished with 17 points on 11 shots. He’s strung together a couple nice performances.

David Nwaba: C+

Nwaba was playing with energy, but I’m not sure how effective it was, before leaving the game with an ankle injury. He should really sit out until he’s fully healthy - he’s not helping the Cavs at half-strength, and there’s no reason for him to risk his safety. He flies all over the place and it’s almost a style that invites injury. He wasn’t the problem tonight, but he certainly wasn’t the solution, either.

Larry Nance Jr.: B

Nance’s counting stats were good, and it’s hard to separate his performance from the difficulties Sexton had. The one thing that’s clear is that at the center position he hasn’t been able to consistently defend for long stretches of time. Still, 20 points on 14 shots isn’t bad for a guy you’re asking a lot from.

Jaron Blossomgame: D

I’m going to be really honest, I barely noticed anything Blossomgame did any point in time in this game. He played 22 minutes, took two shots that he missed, and chipped in with two rebounds. That’s ... not what you’re looking for from a starter but it’s not really his fault he was thrown into the starting lineup. He’ll keep getting opportunities for minutes.

Ante Zizic: D

Missed all three of his attempts, though they looked like solid moves and just rimmed out. Still, he’s not really impacting the game or imposing his will on things. You’d hope for more than two rebounds in 13 minutes.

Jordan Clarkson: C+

Clarkson was reasonably efficient, but it’s almost admirable how little he cares about getting his teammates involved. He’s a pure gunner and makes no bones about it. In games like tonight the team probably actually needed his scoring, but it’s not a recipe for long term success.

Alec Burks: B-

Burks probably deserved more than his 28 minutes, as he had some moments in this game. He was rebounding and passing the ball and scored more points than the amount of shots he attempted. He’s at least a professional, and I’d like to see him cut into Clarkson’s minutes a bit more.

Matthew Dellavedova: C

Delly wasn’t exactly good, but he probably needs more than 19 minutes. He can help keep the ball moving and score a little bit and is still the team’s best perimeter defender, even if that’s not saying much. He was part of a competent stretch of basketball for the Cavs in the second quarter. Unfortunately the second half happened.

Channing Frye and Jalen Jones each logged two minutes, but did not make a serious impact on the game.