Ranking the play of every Cleveland Cavaliers player from Game 1 against the New York Knicks

The Cleveland Cavaliers did not all show up against the New York Knicks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers stumbled against the New York Knicks on Saturday, losing 101-97 in a close game. It came down to the wire, and the good guys nearly pulled off the comeback.  Sadly it was not to be, thanks to some bad calls, missed shots, and some absent-minded defense.

Still, there were players who stepped up and showed up. And that’s what we’re looking at today, the guys who stepped up.

It’s not just about who produced on offense, but who produced on defense, as well as who shot the team in the foot the most times. So keep that in mind as we talk about how the nine players rank in Game 1.

Ranking the Cleveland Cavaliers’ performances against the New York Knicks in Game 1

9. Ricky Rubio

Ricky Rubio played just six minutes, took one shot, and pulled in two rebounds. Not great. His two turnovers and two fouls in a tight contest saw him get sat early.

8. Dean Wade

Dean Wade didn’t do much better, playing just seven minutes and pulling in one rebound. But he did score two points and didn’t commit any turnovers.

7. Caris LeVert

Playing just 18 minutes, and going 1-7 isn’t a great night at all. He had tied for the team-worst BPM with Dean Wade, at -14.

6. Isaac Okoro

Isaac Okoro went 1-6 from the floor (0-4) from three, but he did hit all of his free throws and had a positive BPM.

5. Evan Mobley

While Evan Mobley did his job defensively, holding Julius Randle to sub-40% shooting splits from the floor, it was his abundance of missed shots that the Cavs needed to overcome. He went 4-13 in his playoff debut. Had he shot closer to his yearly average, the Cavs likely win this game.

4. Cedi Osman

Playing a lot of minutes down the stretch, Cedi Osman may have earned himself more minutes in Game 2, especially since he was a positive influence on the team on both sides of the court.

3. Darius Garland

The passiveness of Darius Garland held the Cavs back. Had he worked to get his shot off, especially from three, the Cavs likely win.

2. Jarrett Allen

Jarrett Allen did great against the Knicks he just needed more touches.

1. Donovan Mitchell

Clearly, without Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs lose this game, and badly.