The Cavaliers will be without Evan Mobley on Friday night, and that’s a major hit to their front line heading into a matchup with the Miami Heat.
According to the team’s official injury report, Mobley is dealing with a sprained big toe and will miss the game. The injury happened late in Wednesday’s contest in New York, when he went up for a block and took a hard fall.
Mobley logged 33 minutes in that game and put up 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one block. He went 4-8 from the field, but the overall line was fairly quiet.
Cleveland is already juggling its frontcourt rotation, and this absence only adds to the challenge. Jarrett Allen, who recently came back from an injury of his own, will be expected to anchor the interior defensively alongside Mario Hezonja or Peyton Watson.
The Cavs started Tyrese Proctor when Allen was out, and they could go that route again with Mobley sidelined. Watson, after a strong defensive showing against the Knicks, could shift to power forward to open the door for Proctor.
Jaylon Tyson, who also returned from injury, is another option to enter the starting five. Hezonja’s size could also earn him more minutes, even though Wednesday was mostly a forgettable outing for him.
Mobley has usually held up well defensively against Giannis Antetokounmpo compared with most of the league. Antetokounmpo still bends games to his will, but Mobley’s length and mobility have at least made him a nuisance. Without him, Cleveland loses one of the few bodies that can help make that job a little less brutal.
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