The Cleveland Cavaliers have been underperforming season expectations so far. They’re currently sitting at ninth in the East, and amidst a three-game losing streak. Unfortunately for the Cavs, when it rains it pours and they’re now losing two key players to injuries.
Shams Charania announced Friday that all-star point guard Darius Garland will be sidelined for several weeks with a fractured jaw. Garland has been averaging 20.7 points and 5.9 assists per game so far this season. The injury came after a collision with Kristaps Porzingis against the Celtics on Thursday.
About an hour after the Garland announcement, Adrian Wojnarowski announced that Evan Mobley will be having surgery on his knee and miss the next six-to-eight weeks. The third-year forward had been averaging 16.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He was also a popular preseason pick for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Cavs outlook for the next few weeks
With these major injuries, the Cavs are in a bit of a rough spot. One league executive told Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports, “I have no idea what the hell is going on there…but it ain’t good,” in regards to their current situation.
Some teams have been monitoring the availability of all-star guard Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell still has two guaranteed years on his current contract. Mitchell has said that he is still focused on doing what he can to lead Cleveland to wins.
“We’ve got to figure this thing out,” Mitchell said about the start of the season. “It’s tough obviously, you know, winning a few, losing a few, but we’re not going to quit.”
With the absence of Garland and Mobley for at least the next month, I’d expect an increased role from Cleveland’s offseason additions Max Strus and Georges Niang. Strus has been a full-time starter for Cleveland at Small Forward, averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. I can see the Cavs shifting him into more of a primary ball handler alongside Mitchell to keep the offense flowing.
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