Player Grades: Cavs vs Hawks – Evan Mobley crushes Atlanta

The Cleveland Cavaliers won a statement game against the Atlanta Hawks.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

31 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block

This was a team effort, but Mitchell truly stole the show. His isolation scoring is on par with just about anyone in the NBA. I have to imagine it’s a hopeless feeling for the defense whenever Mitchell windmills the ball over their head. He had Corey Kispert begging for mercy — and none of the other Hawks had any better luck.

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Grade: A+

James Harden

21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals

Harden struggled to score early despite generating some clean looks. He also had a grating turnover in closing time, where he handed the ball straight to NAW. Harden finished the game shooting 6-23.

Other than that, Harden provided a huge surge of scoring in the third quarter and was the orchestrator of Cleveland’s late-game offense. He helped them earn multiple trips to the free-throw line, closing the deal with his surgical decision-making.

Grade: B–

Jarrett Allen

16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals

Allen looks like he’s in pain. That hasn’t stopped him from burrowing into the paint and leaving defenders with no choice other than to bear hug him. The Cavs are showing they can work around Allen’s tendinitis — but I hope that other options emerge as the playoffs approach.

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Ideally, we want February Allen back in the building.

Grade: B

Evan Mobley

22 points, 19 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks

Talk about dominant.

Mobley showed fans what they’ve been dreaming about. He eviscerated any defender the Hawks put in front of him. And, made it a non-contest any time the ball was up for grabs. This monster double-double is the type of stuff that will get Mobley, and his team, to the next level.

Grade: A+

Keon Ellis

5 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 block

I can see Ellis being a great option to slow down players like CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexandar-Walker, and Gabe Vincent. He has the physical tools to match any of them.

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The goal, however, is actually getting him into those matchups. Ellis wasn’t properly utilized in…

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Publish date : 2026-04-09 02:23:00

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