Cavs Face Early Test Without Mobley, But Atkinson Sees Silver Lining in Adversity
The Cleveland Cavaliers are about to find out what they’re made of - and they’ll have to do it without one of their cornerstones.
Evan Mobley is set to miss up to a month with a left calf strain, suffered during Friday’s win over the Washington Wizards. It’s a tough blow for a Cavs team that’s been trying to find rhythm, and Mobley had been a big part of that recent surge.
But head coach Kenny Atkinson isn’t sounding any alarms. In fact, he’s leaning into the challenge, seeing it as a playoff dress rehearsal.
“We're going to get some reps at this. I just think that's good,” Atkinson said before Sunday’s matchup with the Charlotte Hornets.
“When I go back to Game 2 last year against Indiana, we had three of our best players out. We could be in the first round this year and Don [Mitchell] could have a cold or something, the flu, and he doesn't play Game 1, so what does that look like?
We're getting really good reps with managing when you have guys out of the game.”
Mobley’s injury was confirmed after an MRI revealed a Grade 1 strain. He experienced tightness in the calf following the game in D.C., where he still managed to put up a monster stat line: 23 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in 36 minutes. That kind of production - especially on a night where Donovan Mitchell dropped 48 - speaks to just how much Mobley has elevated his game lately.
After a slow start to the season, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year had found his groove. Over the past month, he’s averaged 19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting 52% from the field and an impressive 36% from three on nearly four attempts per night. That’s not just solid - that’s All-Star-level stuff.
But now, the Cavs will need to adjust. And Atkinson, ever the optimist, is embracing the opportunity for others to step up.
“The sky is not falling, crises aren't happening, catastrophes are not happening, just so you guys know,” Atkinson said with a smile. “We are going to be alright and I love the reps for our guys, our bench guys.”
Help is on the way, though. Jarrett Allen is set to return Sunday after missing time with finger injuries on both hands. He hasn’t played since Nov. 28 in Atlanta, but his presence in the paint will be a welcome sight.
“I mean, he's going to have to get into rhythm,” Atkinson said. “Let's not expect perfect.
He's been conditioning his tail off. I think that's why he's playing [Sunday].
He's tired of conditioning, which is the way it should be. You're so miserable trying to get back in shape, but it's not going to be perfect.
It's obviously good timing with Evan being out.”
Allen’s return gives Cleveland a much-needed anchor in the frontcourt, but it won’t be a one-man show. The Cavs will also look to Thomas Bryant for minutes, and Atkinson hinted at experimenting with small-ball lineups to patch things together in Mobley’s absence.
The timing of the injury, while never ideal, does offer Cleveland a manageable stretch to navigate. The Cavs face the Hornets twice - Sunday and again on Dec. 22 - with a home-and-home series against the struggling Chicago Bulls sandwiched in between. These are winnable games, even without Mobley, and they give Cleveland a chance to build some momentum heading into the new year.
Make no mistake: losing Mobley hurts. He’s the defensive backbone and a rapidly evolving offensive weapon.
But this stretch will test the Cavs’ depth, resilience, and ability to adapt - all things that matter when the postseason comes around. And if Atkinson has his way, this adversity might just be the best kind of preparation.