PEOPLE.
ARE .
TALKING.
DRAYMOND GREEN, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS:
“Jarret Allen, he’s been constantly getting better since he came into the league, and Evan Mobley’s a star. I don’t care what anybody says. I believed that when he was at USC, he continues to show that promise. And then, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland put pressure on the rim and it makes it even harder to guard them.”
FULL ARTICLE
Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat Head Coach
“[Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley] are both defensive minded about the right things. They’re winning basketball players. They fit very well off each other. And sometimes that’s a hard pairing to find, that kind of synergy, with two bigs. But they’ve been able to play off each other very well.”
FULL ARTICLE
Kristaps Porzingis, Washington Wizards
“Their pressure, for sure -- they’re the No. 1 defense in the league and you could feel it,” he said. “They’re blowing up all the handoffs and they’re not giving up on plays. They’re helping each other, trusting each other, and they made us turn the ball over a lot and proved that’s the type of defense they play and that’s the type of team they are.”
FULL ARTICLE
J.B. BICKERSTAFF
"He's the anchor defensively…So, again, if he's not doing his job, our defense doesn't work. His responsibility is to protect everybody else on the floor. And, again, if he's not willing to do that, our defense doesn't work.”
FULL ARTICLE
SIXTH MAN
OF THE YEAR
DE'ANDRE
VOTE
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
END OF SEASON AWARDS 2025
SIXTH MAN
OF THE YEAR
STATS
*CAREER HIGH
*17.0 4.0 0.78 27.2 .470 *.405 .846
ppg
spg
mpg
rpg
fg%
3 fg%
ft%
*CAREER HIGH
20.6 2.9 6.7 1.21 *.471 .403 .884
ppg
apg
spg
rpg
fg%
3fg%
3 fg%
Since he joined the Cavaliers, Cleveland is 20-7 when Hunter comes off the bench.
WINNING PLAY
BENCH RANKS
RARE AIR
35-POINT NIGHT
Hunter is leading the NBA in points per game off the bench (16.9 PPG) this season and has scored in double figures 48 times off the bench. He has also scored 20+ points in 18 games off the bench this season.
NBA'S TOP BENCH SCORER
NOTABLE STATS
*STATS AS OF 04/14/2025
Hunter’s 35-point performance on Jan. 27th at Minnesota is tied for the 3rd-highest scoring game off the bench in the NBA this season.
Hunter became the 10th player in NBA history to average 16.0+ PPG on .395+ three-point percentage (min. 100 3FGM) off the bench (Norman Powell in 2022-23, Tyler Herro in 2021-22, Buddy Hield in 2019-20, Nick Young in 2013-14, James Harden in 2011-12, Manu Ginobili in 2007-08, Ben Gordon in 2007-08, Leandro Barbosa in 2006-07,and Dell Cury in 1993-94).
Hunter ranks 4th in the NBA in free-throw percentage off the bench this season (.833 FT%) and his 179 free throws made off the bench lead the NBA among reserves.
Garland is the ONLY PLAYER IN THE ENTIRE NBA averaging at least 20.0 PPG while shooting .470+ FG%, .400+ 3FG% and .880+ FT%.
THE ONLY ONE
Garland has scored 8+ PTS in the final period on 22 occasions. He helped the Cavs overcome an 18-point deficit against Brookly on March 11, scoring 18 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter, and added eight assists and a season-high tying four steals in the victory.
4TH QUARTER HEROICS
Garland made the game-winning shot, a 31-foot three-pointer, as time expired that gave the Cavs a 118-115 victory at Detroit on Feb. 5. It was his first game-winning shot at the buzzer of his NBA career and the first by any Cavalier since Max Strus’s 59-foot buzzer beater on Feb. 27, 2024 vs. Dallas. Garland scored 18 points in the final frame.
DG'S BUZZER BEATER
Garland has the league’s HIGHEST FG% IN THE CLUTCH among players with at least 90 clutch points. In the clutch, he is shooting a staggering .560 FG% and .563 3FG%, while owning the LEAGUE’S BEST plus/minus in clutch situations (+91).
CAPTAIN CLUTCH
NOTABLE STATS
RARE AIR
“How good is Cleveland that you guys did not mention the trade deadline deal to bring in De’Andre Hunter, who's in the running for sixth man of the year. They started the season 16 and zero. That's the kind of year it's been for the Cavs that you didn't even need to mention that to get your point across okay.”
CHRIS MILES
NBA TV HOST
“Speaking of which, De’Andre Hunter was in the sixth man of the year running for that award, if not the front runner.”
CHRIS MILES
NBA TV HOST
“With De’Andre Hunter they got a defensive guy and probably at the time the sixth man of the year. I mean, you got a guy that fits in perfectly anywhere because of the way he was playing this year. His size, also a guy that can score, and they needed a guy like him.”
STEVE SMITH
FORMER NBA PLAYER & TURNER SPORTS BASKETBAL ANALYST
“He's in the sixth man of the year conversation. De’Andre hunter is averaging nearly 20 a game off the bench. It's pretty pretty special.”
BOB RATHBURN
ATLANTA HAWKS PLAY BY PLAY ANNOUNCER
“By the way, I don't want to dismiss the fact that the Cavs added De’Andre Hunter, one of the best defenders in the sport since the trade deadline.”
JORGE SEDANA
ESPN SIDELINE REPORTER
“De’Andre Hunter not only averaging a career high points per game, 18 and a half coming off the bench and strong discussion with Payton Pritchard for sixth man of the year. but does the job defensively as well.”
CORY ALEXANDER
ESPN ANALYST
“I think Koby Altman did a heck of a job going out and finishing the last task…having another wing guy. I think this year coming off the bench, starting the hawks had one of his best years. We all know what his m.o is but now having that size and a step up.”
DENNIS SCOTT
FORMER NBA PLAYER AND TV ANALYST
“One thing I love about what Cleveland did is they didn't say they didn't get comfortable, right? They didn't say, you know what? We're leading the east. We don't have to do anything. we're not going to mess with our chemistry. We're not going to mess with our rotation. And Cleveland said, no, no, no, no, we got Boston defending championship right behind us. We got the Knicks. They’re hungry. And knicks haven't won a championship in, what, 1920?”
SHAUN POWELL
NBA SENIOR WRITER
“I think they had the biggest hole and that was on the wing and De’Andre Hunter fills that hole nicely. Now with Hunter they get a rugged two-way wing who is under contract for two more years and if he's able to stay healthy, having him under contract the next couple of years, 23 and 25 million, that's really good value for the Cleveland Cavaliers.”
RYAN MCDONOUGH
FORMER NBA EXECUTIVE
“Their depth got even better when they brought over De’Andre Hunter, who has been absolutely outstanding in his time there… The Cavs had a top ten efficiency rating before then now they have a top five. he does everything well, especially shooting from the three. he's at 50% at this point. so, yes, their strength is in their depth and they've done a great job to this point.”
ANGEL GRAY
ESPN SIDELINE REPORTER
“The one i thing I think is underrated is truly their depth. they have two players that, honestly, could be in the mix for sixth man of the year, two in the top five when it comes to the betting odds.”
CHINEY OGWUMIKE
FORMER WNBA PLAYER AND ESPN ANALYST
“Their new acquisition, De’Andre Hunter, they were undefeated, they never lost when he was in the lineup. Look at that, nine games, 9-0, almost 15 points per game and a sniper from three. they have the makings of an NBA champion sooner rather than later.”
CHINEY OGWUMIKE
FORMER WNBA PLAYER AND ESPN ANALYST
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
SPOT ON FROM DISTANCE: Hunter shot a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc en route to 16 points in just 19 minutes off the bench in a win over New York on Feb. 21.
Hunter had a near double-double in Cleveland’s win over Memphis on Feb. 23, tallying 12 points and 8 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench.
STEPPING UP: In a win over Portland on March 2, Hunter finished with a game-high 32 points on 8-15 (.533) shooting from the field, including 5-9 (.556) shooting from the three-point line, seven rebounds and one steal in 32 minutes. It was the 3rd time in his NBA career scoring 30 points or more and first time as a Cavalier.
DG AT MSG: In Cleveland’s road win in New York (10/28), Garland became just the 3rd player in Cavs history to record 34+ PTS, 5+ 3FG, 2+ STL and 2+ BLK in a single game. He also scored 15 PTS in the 4th quarter to lead the Cavs in the come-from-behind win.
COMEBACK KING: Garland helped the Cavs overcome an 18-point deficit against Brookly on March 11, scoring 18 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter, and added eight assists and a season-high tying four steals in the victory.
AT THE BUZZER: Garland made the game-winning shot, a 31-foot three-pointer, as time expired that gave the Cavs a 118-115 victory at Detroit on Feb. 5. It was his first game-winning shot at the buzzer of his NBA career and the first by any Cavalier since Max Strus’s 59-foot buzzer beater on Feb. 27, 2024 vs. Dallas.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hunter’s 35-point performance on Jan. 27th at Minnesota is tied for the 3rd-highest scoring game off the bench in the NBA this season.
WINNING PLAY
Since he joined the Cavaliers, Cleveland is 14-4 when Hunter comes off the bench.
ELITE SIXTH MAN
Hunter is averaging 16.9 PPG and 3.7 RPG on .475 FG% off the bench this season. Since 2000, only SEVEN of the winners of the Sixth Man of the Year award have averaged at least 16.0 PPG and 3.0 RPG off the bench and only TWO of the winners since 2000 has averaged at least 16.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG and .470 FG%.
*STATS AS OF 03/30/2025