The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the midst of a rare four-day break between Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons and Sunday’s game against the Boston Celtics. That layoff is coming at a good time, as it may provide an opportunity for some of the injured Cavaliers, including Donovan Mitchell, to return to the lineup.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson confirmed after the team’s practice on Friday that Mitchell was a full participant.
This is encouraging. Atkinson mentioned that Mitchell’s injury wasn’t expected
to be a “long-term thing” and that if Tuesday’s game against the Pistons was a playoff game, Mitchell could’ve gone.
Mitchell has missed the Cavs’ last four games. They’re 2-2 in that stretch. On the season, Mitchell is averaging 28.5 points and 5.8 assists per game.
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Atkinson also said that Max Strus — who is yet to play this season as he’s recovering from a Jones fracture in his foot he suffered during an off-season workout — was at “90%” participation and “could’ve gone more,” but they didn’t want to push it.
There isn’t a timetable yet for Strus to make his season debut, but Atkinson has said that he anticipates that happening in the regular season, which has just over a month left. He’s excited about what Strus could add as a connector offensively and believes that bringing him back will be like adding a free agent to this team.
The Cavaliers have also been without Dean Wade. He’s been absent from the team’s last three games with an ankle injury. Along with Mitchell, he was also a full participant.
Wade is averaging 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
Jarrett Allen was removed from Tuesday’s game in the third quarter with a knee injury. He was not a participant in Friday’s practice, but he did do cardio work and received treatment. Atkinson did say that Allen’s injury was “not long-term at all.”
Allen is averaging 15.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season.
The status for all four players ahead of Sunday’s matchup is unknown at this time, but there is a chance that Mitchell, Wade, and Allen could be available.
