After dominating the Chicago Bulls in their first game since returning from paris, the Cleveland Cavaliers are back in action Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks on ESPN. For the Cavs, the injury report remains mostly the same, with Darius Garland (jaw), Evan Mobley (knee) and Ty Jerome (ankle) still sidelined. But Isaiah Mobley (G League assignment) is also unavailable for the Cavs, while Caris LeVert (wrist) is considered a game-time decision.
LeVert hasn't missed a game since December 23rd against the Bulls and has been strong off the bench in the absence of Garland, averaging 19.8 points on 45.9 percent shooting and 5.3 assists in 28.3 minutes per game over his last eight appearances. If LeVert is sidelined, Sam Merrill, Georges Niang, and Craig Porter would likely be candidates for increased roles.
Caris LeVert would be major loss vs. Bucks
Not having LeVert would be a huge blow for the Cavs, who are already 0-1 against the Bucks this season. His absence would loom especially large without Garland who, according to sources, did have the wiring removed from his jaw but still isn't ready to return to the court. The biggest concern is where Garland's playing weight is post-surgery. Since Garland couldn't chew and consume solid food properly, reportedly carrying a blender around Paris while the team was in France, he's likely been subsisting on a liquid diet or softer foods, which are lower in calories.
Garland's diet mostly consisted of water, fruit juices, milkshakes, smoothies, yogurt, creamy soups or broths, and liquid nutritional supplements while his jaw was wired shut. But now that the wire is out, the Cavs and their medical staff must keep a close eye on Garland to ensure he can be at a healthy playing weight and in proper game shape before returning to the floor.
Meanwhile, Mobley is only a shade over four weeks into his initial six-to-eight week recovery window and still has a while until he returns to the floor. That original window, of course, is only for when Mobley will be re-evaluated, giving his medical team and Cleveland's medical staff an idea of how his knee is recovering after surgery. Once Mobley can get the green light to return to basketball activities, he'll have a road back to getting back into in-game shape and to a point where the risk of re-injuring his knee won't be possible.
Not having Mobley to go up against Giannis Antetokounmp or Garland to match Damian Lillard bucket for bucket will be a tough task for the Cavs against the Bucks. The same cannot be said for Jerome, who has become a bit of an afterthought for Cleveland after being sidelined since the team's home-opening loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in October along with the emergence of undrafted rookie Craig Porter Jr.
Thankfully, even without their star duo, the Cavs are 10-3 and could crack into the top-three in the Eastern Conference if they're able to defend home court against Milwaukee. Both teams last met right after Christmas, when the Bucks squashed the Cavs 119-111. Thankfully, Cleveland will have Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, their headlining duo, that dominated last time they faced Milwaukee out there. But if LeVert is unavailable, on top of not having Garland and Mobley, it could be a rough time for the Cavs, at risk of falling to 0-2 against their divisional rivals on the season.
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