It's not often NBA teams go through two consecutive back-to-backs like the Cleveland Cavaliers have. The first set was a two-game homestand against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, both losses. The latest is a home-and-home set with the New York Knicks, the Cavs' dreaded playoff foe from a season ago.

The Cavs were already hobbled heading into the matchup with New York, with Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Ty Jerome, and Caris LeVert all unavailable. The lack of depth and star-level talent was almost immediately apparent when Cleveland tried to go blow-for-blow with New York. The Cavs missed their first eleven field goal attempts in the third quarter, and the Knicks were able to overwhelm and fluster Cleveland with their sound defense and impressive depth.

Well, now with the miniseries shifting to the Big Apple, the Cavs will still be undermanned. Cleveland will be without Allen, Garland, and Jerome when the Cavs take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. This will be the sixth game Allen has missed since suffering a bone bruise in his left ankle early into training camp. For Garland, meanwhile, this will be his fifth consecutive absence from the court after tweaking his hamstring during the preseason and trying to play through in Cleveland's season-opening win over the Brooklyn Nets. Finally, this will be the third game Jerome has missed since tweaking his ankle in the Cavs' home-opening loss to the Thunder.

LeVert, meanwhile, remains a game-time decision due to a nagging hamstring injury that seems to be affecting all of Cleveland's guards. Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff did say that those who played when Cleveland hosted New York would likely play when things shifted to the Big Apple. He also said those who didn't play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse wouldn't play in Madison Square Garden either. So, based on that logic, LeVert will likely miss another game for the Cavs, which is a massive blow to a bench unit that already struggles to score consistently.

Looking ahead, it wouldn't be a surprise if most of this group misses Cleveland's game against the Pacers later this week. Bickerstaff's approach has always been to consult the team's medical staff on where a player is at physically in their recovery. If said player is physically cleared for activity, they then have to be able to handle the rigors of a standard practice to get back on the court for the Cavs.

Unfortunately, due to Cleveland currently going through a back-to-back, they cannot practice before they head to Indianapolis to play the Pacers. Sure, the added rest helps speed up the recovery process for the injured bunch missing time. But, it makes it difficult for Bickerstaff and his coaching staff to have a full understanding of how much of a load they can shoulder.

So, there's a real chance the Cavs are staring down the barrel of a 1-6 record when they play at home against the Golden State Warriors. It doesn't get easier from there, with Cleveland hitting the road to face the Thunder, Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and Portland Trail Blazers.

If the Cavs can't win against the lowly Blazers or steal a game or two on this road trip, they could be 1-11 when they return home to host the Detroit Pistons. By then, it's more than fair to start panicking about Cleveland this season. But, hopefully, good health and good fortune strike the team soon to help right the ship.

Until then, all people can only wait and see what happens next.