Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson provided an update on the statuses of Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill after Tuesday's practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Both have missed a significant chunk of action since mid-November, which hasn't helped matters for a team that sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference at 14-11.
Atkinson shared that Allen was a full participant, which is a good sign, considering it's early in the week and Cleveland doesn't play its next game until Friday against the Washington Wizards on the road.
“Looked good,” Atkinson said of Allen, who has been out of action with two finger injuries on each hand. The Cavs' big man last played against the Atlanta Hawks after missing the previous three games prior to the November 28 contest.
Giving it a go in his minutes, Cleveland's coaching staff noticed right away how bothersome both fingers were to him. Two days later, the organization announced that Allen would miss at least one week. It's been nine days since that press release, so this timing makes sense.
Merrill, on the other hand, didn't practice at all as he continues to deal with a sprained right hand.
“He's frustrated. We're frustrated,” Atkinson said. “It's just a slow healing process. That's where we are. Hasn't gotten worse, swelling is decreasing. But the fact is he's still not able to shoot and catch. It's just hard to move forward. We're just focusing on the sprinting and conditioning. He's doing everything else, but he's frustrated more than anybody that this thing's not healing quicker. There's nothing structural.”
In the same November 30 update on Allen and Larry Nance Jr., who's out until the end of the month with a right calf strain, the Cavs termed Merrill's injury day-to-day. It's easy to see why Merrill, Atkinson, and the wine and gold are annoyed by how the sprain has healed because nobody thought it would take this long.
Atkinson admitted that Cleveland is missing Merrill and its “connectors.”
“And the gravity that goes with that. It's a big thing for your offense,” Atkinson said. “We've supplanted that, but Qwan [Tomin]'s different, right? He's a cutter and slasher; he fits that. But right now, we kind of don't have that piece. We don't have another player that kind of fits it. C.P. [Craig Porter Jr.] is a roller and another slasher. That causes a little bit of an imbalance on what we're doing and an adjustment in what we're doing.
“I don't think it's like, ‘Oh, let's create another Sam.’ It's like, how can we use Nae’Qwan better? How can we use Jaylon [Tyson] better? Because they're just different types of players.”
Though utilizing this time to exhale from a busy schedule, Tuesday brought on an uncomfortable film session for the Cavs, which focused on defense, compete level, and focus. Cleveland's offensive principles will be addressed during Wednesday's practice.
