The Cleveland Cavaliers are wrapping up their five-game Western Conference road swing in Denver on Monday night, but they’ll be doing it shorthanded-and that’s less than ideal when Nikola Jokic is waiting on the other side.
Let’s start with the big one: Evan Mobley will miss his sixth straight game due to the calf strain he suffered back on January 26 in a win over Orlando. That’s a major blow for Cleveland, especially when you’re going up against a Nuggets team that thrives on interior play and ball movement sparked by Jokic’s brilliance. Mobley’s length, mobility, and defensive instincts would’ve been critical in trying to slow down Denver’s MVP centerpiece.
But the injury concerns don’t stop there.
Dean Wade, who’s been a steady presence in the rotation, is questionable for the matchup after missing Friday’s win over Sacramento with a left ankle sprain. He last played on Wednesday against the Clippers.
On the season, Wade’s been contributing 5.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, shooting .417 from the field and .340 from deep. He’s not a volume scorer, but his ability to stretch the floor and defend multiple positions gives Cleveland valuable versatility-something they’ll sorely miss if he’s sidelined again.
Rookie Jaylon Tyson is also questionable with a left ankle sprain. Tyson got the starting nod at power forward against the Kings, but it was a mixed bag.
He looked tentative at times, particularly when sharing the floor with James Harden, and couldn’t quite find his rhythm offensively. He finished with 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting, along with six rebounds and no assists.
It was a tough assignment, and the learning curve was evident.
If both Wade and Tyson are unavailable, the Cavs may turn to Nae’Qwan Tomlin to fill the starting power forward role. That would be a big opportunity for the rookie, and it could also lead to more minutes for Thomas Bryant and Keon Ellis, as Cleveland looks to patch together a frontcourt rotation against one of the league’s most fundamentally sound offenses.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, aren’t at full strength either.
Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson are both out with hamstring injuries, while Jamal Murray is listed as questionable due to a hip issue. That’s significant-Murray’s scoring and playmaking are central to Denver’s offensive flow, especially in crunch time. On the bright side for the Nuggets, both Jokic and Christian Braun are probable with ankle issues, so barring any last-minute changes, they’re expected to suit up.
For Cleveland, this game is about more than just surviving a tough road trip-it’s a chance to see how their depth holds up under pressure. Injuries are testing their rotation, and going up against the defending champs in Denver’s altitude is a tall order even at full strength. But these are the types of matchups that reveal a team’s resilience, and for a Cavs squad still trying to find its ceiling, every possession matters.
Keep an eye on how Cleveland adjusts defensively without Mobley, how they manage their frontcourt minutes, and whether anyone steps up to fill the void. Because when Jokic is on the other end orchestrating the offense like a seven-foot point guard, you need all hands on deck-and then some.