Well, the hits keep coming and won’t stop for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Heading into their Central Divisional battle with the Indiana Pacers, the Cavs will be without Donovan Mitchell (nose/knee), Evan Mobley (ankle), Max Strus (knee), Ty Jerome (ankle), Emoni Bates (NBA G Leauge assignment), Isaiah Mobley (NBA G League assignment) and Pete Nance (NBA G League assignment). Meanwhile, Dean Wade (knee), is considered doubtful after missing Cleveland’s loss to the Houston Rockets with the same injury.
Sure, this tilt against the Pacers is big for the Cavs since it’s two Central Division rivals squaring off. But, with the varying severity of all these respective injuries sidelining so many players for Cleveland, it takes the wind out of the Cavs’ sails a bit.
This game against Indiana is going to be a test for Cleveland like the rest of their schedule to finish out the regular season. But, looking ahead, there are three things that could make or break the Cavs leading up to the playoffs. Starting with the first of two remaining battles with the Pacers.
The Central Division title in the balance
If Cleveland is able to win against Indiana despite being so undermanned, it’ll lock up an important tiebreaker for the Cavs.
After going 2-2 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland needs to lock up one more win against a Central Division foe to secure the edge in the event the Cavs and Bucks finish the season with the same record. While Milwaukee is currently 1.5 games ahead of Cleveland in the Eastern Conference, the race will likely come down to the wire for the division, which will have serious implications for NBA playoff standings.
It could be the difference between the Cavs having homecourt advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
It could be the difference between facing Milwaukee, a team Cleveland has done well against this season, and the Boston Celtics, a team the Cavs want nothing to do with, in the second round.
It also could be the difference in whether or not Cleveland faces the Pacers, a team the Cavs have struggled with, in the first round, or a more palatable opponent like the Chicago Bulls or Atlanta Hawks. So, clearly, it all matters for Cleveland as they take the hardest road to the postseason.
Cavs lacking their core four
Much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s taken a while for the Cavs to see their own Fantastic Four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen share the floor together. Injuries have kept Cleveland’s stars from sharing the floor together all season long and with Mitchell and Mobley sidelined, it may not happen any time soon.
In fact, Cleveland’s core four has only played 305 minutes together in only 22 of 67 games. While the Cavs have still strung together impressive wins while missing their stars, not having cohesive and consistent time together on the floor could hamstring Cleveland down the stretch.
When games are tight, especially in the playoffs, teams lean on their stars to win. Unless Mobley and Mitchell return to the floor within the next few games, it’ll be tough for the Cavs to lean on their stars if they’re rusty and out of sync with each other on the court.
Finding a way to stay healthy
On top of lacking star power due to injuries, good health in general is critical for Cleveland’s postseason success. Until the injury report becomes shorter, it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Sure, current and past injuries led to the emergence of Sam Merrill and allowed Georges Niang and Isaac Okoro to find a groove. But having more players available is obviously a better thing for Cleveland. Having more players available makes it way less taxing for other players, who are asked to play more and do more on the court to compensate for who is missing.
More than anything, the Cavs just need to get healthy and stay healthy. Injuries have been a consistent theme all season long and it’s kept everyone from fully understanding what Cleveland is capable of on the floor. Hopefully, things turn around sooner rather than later.
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