The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, as they are in the middle of a six-game win streak, which is the longest active win streak in the league. In a stroke of continued good fortune, JB Bickerstaff's latest comments on the returns of Darius Garland (jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee) indicate that they will be back in action for the Cavs sooner rather than later.
Darius Garland not traveling with Cavs, but that's not a bad thing
Before Cleveland's home win against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, Garland had the wiring that was clamping his jaw shut removed and, more importantly, he was given the green light from the team's medical staff to resume basketball activities. Even before the wire was removed, Garland had been regularly spotted getting in extra work with the team's assistant coaches before tip-off in their recent home stretch, which already indicated that he's close to a return.
But what's even more encouraging about Garland's return was when Bickerstaff shared with ClutchPoints that Garland would not join the team on their upcoming ten-day, four-game road trip. Now, you're probably thinking, “If Garland isn't on the road to possibly play, how is that encouraging?” Well, Bickerstaff shared with ClutchPoints that the focus is for Garland to continue working with available assistants and medical staff members back in Cleveland, which, in turn, will help him ramp up his work and get back on the floor sooner rather than later.
So, let's say that Garland returns to the floor when the Cavs are back home to host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, January 29th. Not having him for their upcoming gauntlet against the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks would be worth it if it meant he was back in the lineup immediately after for that Clippers contest.
While Cleveland has been doing fine with an 11-3 record without Garland, getting their superstar point guard back on the floor would take things to another level offensively. But, what would take the Cavs into a different stratosphere would be the return of Mobley and, based on what has been seen and said lately, his return might come soon after Garland's.
Evan Mobley ‘progressing' in return from injury, per JB Bickerstaff
Before Cleveland hits the road for their upcoming trip, they snuck in a practice to get a feel for new ten-day signee Pete Nance. When the floor opened to the media, Mobley was spotted wearing a starter's practice jersey and a sleeve on his left leg, with a foreign body removed from his knee.
Considering how Mobley is back on the floor only five weeks into his projected six-to-eight week recovery window, it's pretty encouraging to see that he is already back on the floor practicing. Even more encouraging was when Bickerstaff told ClutchPoints that while Mobley didn't participate in any contact during practice, he was a full participant in non-contact portions on the floor.
While Bickerstaff told ClutchPoints he wouldn't comment on where Mobley was in his recovery, he said that he's progressing, with the practice before the road trip being the first time he's been back on the floor since his surgery. There's still a long way to go until Mobley is cleared to play again, though, with sources saying that he has to handle full contact in practice a few times to test his surgically repaired knee before he can make a return to game action.
When Garland and Mobley were ruled out, it felt like the Cavs were at rock bottom, and their season was in disarray. But Bickerstaff, Donovan Mitchell, and Jarrett Allen dug deep, guiding Cleveland to several impressive wins, and they are currently in the cat bird's seat to be a top-three team record-wise in the Eastern Conference, and mind you, they accomplished that without two of their best players inGarland and Mobley on the floor. When those two return, the Cavs will be primed to run the table in the Eastern Conference.
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