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After starting the year 2-0, Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to stay undefeated when they travel to take on the Washinton Wizards in the second game of a back-to-back. This will be the first of three matchups between the Cavs and Wizards. Both sides meet again in Cleveland in December before Washington wraps up the season series at home in February. The Cavs dominated last year's series, going 4-0 against the Wizards. Moreover, Cleveland has won eight in a row against Washington and probably doesn't want to change that in this matchup.
However, unlike the Cavs, the Wizards have the luxury of rest on their side. Washington last played in their 122-102 home-opening loss to the Boston Celtics. Regardless, the Wizards will be without a few key depth pieces in Saddiq Bey (ACL surgery) and Malcolm Brogdon (thumb surgery). Meanwhile, Carlton “Bub” Carrington was considered a game-time decision after suffering a mild ankle sprain against the Celtics. Thankfully, the rookie is good to go heading into this matchup, with Washington listing Carrington as available against Cleveland.
Bey tore his ACL last season and is still rehabbing but has done some on-court work during Washington's training camp. However, he's still not cleared for contact and is likely months away from returning to game action. Brogdon, meanwhile, suffered a thumb injury during preseason practice. After successfully undergoing surgery, the veteran guard is expected to be sidelined for at least a month.
Who will play for the Cavs against the Wizards?
After Cleveland's home opening win over the Detroit Pistons, head coach Kenny Atkinson told ClutchPoints that he expected everyone who played against the Pistons to play against the Wizards. Well, even if Cleveland is on the second game of a back-to-back, Atkinson stays true to his word.
Against the Wizards, the Cavs will be without Emoni Bates (knee, G League assignment), Max Strus (ankle), Luke Travers (G League assignment), and J.T. Thor (G League assignment). Not having Bates, Thor, or Travers isn't surprising. All three need valuable on-court reps to continue their development, and Cleveland doesn't have the minutes available to let them play in the game.
So, while Thor and Travers will practice with the team, they'll wait to get rolling when the NBA G League season starts. Bates, meanwhile, remains sidelined, rehabbing after preseason knee surgery. Hopefully, Bates will be available when the Cleveland Charge, the NBA G League affiliate of the Cavs, starts their season.
Cleveland's matchup with Washington will be the third straight regular-season game without Strus. The Cavs sharpshooter sprained his right ankle during individual workouts while recovering from a bruised hip. After confirming the sprain's severity, Strus will be reevaluated after six weeks of treatment and rehabilitation.
That timeline suggests he’ll remain sidelined for at least Cleveland's first 20 regular-season contests. Strus had missed some time this preseason but appeared to be on the verge of returning for the opener against the Toronto Raptors. With Strus still sidelined, Dean Wade will likely start at small forward for the Cavs. Wade started in Strus's place against the Raptors and Pistons and played well in both contests. Look for Wade to keep it up against the Wizards.
No concerns about Donovan Mitchell's knee
What may surprise some Cavs fans is that Mitchell's status isn't up in the air. Against Detroit, Mitchell looked like he was moving with a noticeable limp before Atkinson rested Cleveland's core rotation players down the stretch. After the end of last season, that might raise alarms for some fans. However, there shouldn't be much reason for concern about Mitchell's status going forward.
Atkinson shared with ClutchPoints postgame that the Pistons were hitting the Cavs, Mitchell included, with physicality on numerous possessions. That physicality caused Mitchell to knock knees with a Detroit defender early into the game. Atkinson noted that the incident impacted Mitchell's lift during the game. However, Atkinson said there's no reason to worry about Mitchell's status.
Having Mitchell available should make things easier for Cleveland to take care of business on the road. The Cavs haven't started 3-0 since the 2020-21 season. Hopefully, they can break that trend against the Wizards.
