The Cleveland Cavaliers improved their record to 4-0 after a comfortable win over the New York Knicks.

Grades are based on our expectations of each player.

Donovan Mitchell

24 points (9-17 shooting), 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 turnovers

Mitchell was one of the few Cavaliers whose outside throws rolled tonight. His timely shots kept them in the game – although he occasionally forced the issue and made some inefficient attempts. It wasn’t a perfect game from Mitchell, but it was more than enough for a win.

Grade: A-

Evan Mobley

17 points (7-12 shots), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks

It was a slow start for Mobley. He didn’t attempt a shot in the first quarter and only shot three in the second quarter. But by the end of the night, he would establish himself as a force in the paint. His consistent rim pressure gave the Cavs a dose of life in a game in which they shot just 33% from three. The Mobely rim protection also made the difference.

Grade: B+

Darius Garland

34 points (12-19 shooting), 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals

If you’ve been looking for the real Darius Garland, your search is now officially over. Garland hasn’t looked this good in a while – but tonight was a throwback performance. He destroyed New York’s defense with shots from all areas of the court and his defense was equally impressive. Four stocks (steals and blocks) along with a game-high 34 points are the kind of things that will earn you extra credits.

Grade: A++

Jarrett Allen

15 points (5-7 shots), 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

The Knicks began this game pounding Cleveland on the glass like they had before. The first half was a bit rocky, but Allen responded with a dominant performance on the boards. Every one of his 15 rebounds was important in the win and his consistently efficient finishing at the rim was helpful as always.

Grade: B+

Dean Wade

1 point (0-5 shots), 4 assists, 3 rebounds

This wasn’t the best game for Wade. Despite a few open three-point opportunities, he failed to find the net and his presence on the screen wasn’t felt until the second half. Nevertheless, he remains one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and was able to hold his own against Jalen Brunson for long stretches. We can’t give him too much credit with this stat, but Wade was better than his -14 plus/minus suggests.

Grade: C+

Caris LeVert

5 points (1-4 shots), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

LeVert didn’t have a great night of filming either. That was a theme for Cleveland’s role players tonight. But LeVert’s defense got the Cavs going in the second half, and his miss ultimately didn’t hurt them as much as it could have. That was a OK Performance from a player who usually has extreme highs and lows.

Grade: C

Sam Merrill

6 points (2-5 shots), 2 rebounds, 2 assists

It’s clear that Kenny Atkinson appreciates Merrill’s three-point shooting. He was featured prominently in the rotation and received plenty of daylight to shoot the ball. The only thing left is for Merrill to actually knock down shots. He shot 2-for-5 tonight and is 6-for-19 overall this season. With a shooter as talented as Merrill, you have to imagine it’s only a matter of time before those numbers improve.

Grade: C-

Georges Niang

5 points (2-6 shots), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

The Cavs struggled to shoot in this game. That’s obvious. But while Niang often finds it difficult to be positive when his shot isn’t falling, tonight was an exception. He scratched the glass and mostly was able to hold his own in defense. It wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t bad either.

Grade: C

Isaac Okoro

0 points (0-2 shooting), 1 assist, 1 steal, 9 minutes

Okoro is still trying to find his role on this team after spending the entire offseason negotiating a new contract. It seems the issues are still not resolved as Okoro once again delivers a dull performance. I expect his role to expand as the season progresses – but Okoro will have to justify it too.

Grade: D

Ty Jerome

2 points (1-5 shooting), 2 steals, 7 minutes

We don’t want to spoil Jerome’s save, but that wasn’t his best game. It was clear early on that New York’s strong fullbacks would cause problems for Jerome at the point of attack. He didn’t make much of an impact and his evening ended early.

Grade: D