First Impressions From De'Andre Hunter's Cleveland Cavaliers Debut

De'Andre Hunter proved he can be exactly what the Cleveland Cavaliers need at the forward position.

Tommy Wild | Feb 10, 2025

Feb 10, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (12) stands on the court in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

In this story:

Cleveland Cavaliers

The De'Andre Hunter era with the Cleveland Cavaliers has officially begun, and it started in dominant fashion with the Wine and Gold blowing the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-107.

Hunter played just over 20 minutes, but he made a solid first impression during his first game with the Cavaliers.

Defense And Fouls

Kenny Atkinson revealed a day ago that the first order of business was getting Hunter acclimating to the defensive end, and that didn't take long.

Cleveland's defense was solid overall against the Timberwolves, especially in the first quarter. Much of that started with Hunter's defense of Anthony Edwards early in the game.

Hunter did find himself in foul trouble early and was one short of fouling out of the game. Some may view that as a concern, but if anything, it shows he's willing to be aggressive and make a strong impact on the defensive end.

Donovan Mitchell (45) and forward De'Andre Hunter (12) defend Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27)

Feb 10, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and forward De'Andre Hunter (12) defend Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

De'Andre Hunter's Offensive Impact

Hunter was averaging 19.0 points per game when he was traded to the Cavaliers. Given all of Cleveland's offensive options, it was always going to be hard for him to match that in the Cavaliers offense.

That said, Hunter provided the exact offensive impact that the Wine and Gold need from him moving forward.

The forward scored 12 points while knocking down 75 percent (three of four) of his three-pointers.

ANOTHA ONE. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/Zx77KDR3KZ
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 11, 2025

The more Hunter plays with the Cavaliers, the more he'll find his shots in the paint and find driving lanes. But for now, seeing him show the ability to knock down open threes is a welcome addition to Cleveland's offense.

Atkinson also said a few days ago that it could take up to 15 games to fully involve Hunter in Cleveland's game plan.

However, Hunter proved in just his first game with the Cavaliers that he can be the three-and-D wing that this roster has been missing for so many years.

Defense And Fouls

De'Andre Hunter's Offensive Impact

Read More Cleveland Cavaliers Coverage