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Riding high after an extended siesta, the still injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers hope to maintain momentum when Cleveland takes on the Washington Wizards at home. Last time out, the Cavs lost to the Miami Heat 122-113. The Wizards, meanwhile, are 3-17 in their previous 20 games, sitting at rock bottom in the Eastern Conference.
This will be the third of four meetings between the Cavs and Wizards this year. Both sides last met in Cleveland, with the Cavs winning 118-87. Cleveland was dominant from wire-to-wire against Washington, never giving the Wizards a shot at any point in the matchup.
However, with Washington's horrible start to the year, Cleveland doesn't want to be the victim of a possible trap game. Unfortunately, both teams are dealing with numerous injuries heading into this matchup, making this a grind for either side.
Who is unavailable for the Wizards against Cleveland?
Against the Cavs, the Wizards will be without Saddiq Bey (ACL), Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring), Kyshawn George (ankle), Corey Kispert (ankle), Kyle Kuzma (rib), and Tristan Vukcevic (NBA G League assignment, injury recovery).
Bey, 25, tore his ACL in March, leaving his return timetable in doubt. However, teammate Malcolm Brogdon shared with reporters that Bey is healing quickly.
“We definitely built a bond, a strong rapport,” Brogdon said. “He's working, man. He's actually progressing fast, so we're going to have to slow him down because he's doing really well.”
If an ACL tear takes 9-12 months to heal, his earliest possible return would likely be mid-December. However, regarding Brogdon's hamstring injury, this will be his fourth straight missed contest due to the injury. So, Bey and Brogdon can recover together on the bench.
Kuzma, meanwhile, has been sidelined since suffering a rib injury against the Los Angeles Clippers. Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said Kuzma was expected to miss this game against the Cavs.
The same goes for Vukcevic. The Serbian forward has yet to make his season debut and has no return timeline. Barring a return to practice, the Vukcevic can be considered doubtful for future contests.
Cavs sharpshooter Max Strus won't make his regular season debut against Washington
Like the Wizards, the Cavs will be without several key contributors. Max Strus (ankle) remains sidelined. Cleveland's matchup with Washington will be the 26th straight regular-season game without Strus. The Cavs sharpshooter sprained his right ankle during individual workouts.
After confirming the sprain's severity, it was announced that Strus would be reevaluated after six weeks of treatment and rehabilitation. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said that Strus isn't ready to return to the floor but is progressing.
So, for now, assume that Strus will remain sidelined for the better part of December. It's disappointing since so many top NBA insiders seemed confident that Strus would make his Cavs regular-season debut at home against the Wizards. Instead, fans will have to wait for Strus to possibly return to action against Cleveland's next opponent: the Brooklyn Nets.
Rounding out the injury report for the Cavs are Craig Porter Jr. (NBA G League assignment) and Emoni Bates (NBA G League assignment), who both are unavailable. Big man Evan Mobley, meanwhile, is dealing with a sprained left ankle, which will likely be a game-time decision. However, swingman Isaac Okoro is listed as probable despite dealing with a bruised knee.
