The Cleveland Cavaliers have been dealt a rough hand this season. Injuries have already caused them to deploy more starting lineups than all of last season. And while they still don’t have Darius Garland or Max Strus, they will at least get a few rotational players back in the lineup tonight with De’Andre Hunter and Sam Merrill.
Merrill has been dealing with a hand injury since earlier in the season. He’s been banged up multiple times this year, but it hasn’t stopped Merrill from having the best start to a season of his career. He’s averaging 13.8 points while shooting a red-hot 45.5% from deep on 7.8 attempts per game.
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Hunter, on the other hand, hasn’t been as hot. He’s struggled to find his rhythym this season, shooting a career-low 30.6% from downtown and fitting out more than he’s fit in. Some knee soreness throughout the year hasn’t helped. Hopefully, Hunter can put it together now that he’s back in the lineup.
This was a positive update for Hunter and Merrill. Sadly, it wasn’t all good news for the Cavs. There are no updates for Strus or Garland — and we learned of another Evan Mobley calf strain yesterday. Mobley missed nearly two weeks with a calf injury in December and has suffered another strain to the same leg.
Mobley is expected to be re-evaluated in 1-3 weeks. He’s historically been a fast healer, but calf injuries are no joke in today’s NBA. I don’t expect the Cavs to push their luck or gamble with fate when it comes to Mobley’s latest injury.
Cleveland has their longest road trip of the season coming up after tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ll travel West, playing against the Suns, Trail Blazers, Kings, and Clippers. They return home for a game against the Washington Wizards before the All-Star break.
