Cavs rookie Evan Mobley to miss significant time with elbow injury

Cavs star rookie Evan Mobley joins extended injury list

The Cleveland Cavaliers lose another starter to injury after star rookie big man Evan Mobley suffered a right elbow injury as the Cavs dropped a close one at home to the Boston Celtics on Monday night.

The third overall pick of this year’s draft appeared to get hurt while going up for a rebound against Boston’s Enes Kanter in the third quarter, visibly grimacing and nursing the elbow right after but remained in the game for a few more minutes before leaving for good early in the fourth period.

According to the official release by the team, which confirmed an elbow sprain following a postgame examination and an MRI administered at the Cleveland Clinic Sports Health Center, Mobley is expected to miss 2-4 weeks and will “now undergo treatment and rehabilitation”.

Cleveland is already without the team’s leading scorer after Collin Sexton suffered a meniscus tear more than a week ago, while Jarrett Allen (undisclosed illness), Kevin Love (reconditioning), and Lauri Markkanen (health and safety protocols) are also out.

The loss of Mobley marks a total of four Cavaliers starters being unavailable due to various reasons–that also makes it five of the team’s early eight-man rotation. Things will undoubtedly get even trickier for the Cavs hereon.

The resurgent Cavs needs to brace for impact

Evan Mobley is a key reason the Cavaliers kicked the season off to an impressive 9-6 start. Not only is he putting up 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks per outing, the 20-year-old brings just as much on the defensive end.

The seven-foot phenom not only hovers around the top 10 shot blockers but also leads the NBA in contested shots at 14.8 per game. With 15 contests under his belt, the rook has been on top of the league in hustle stats.

While the Cavs have collectively done well on defense thus far, an incoming consequential dropoff is all but certain.

After returning from a hamstring strain that caused him to miss seven games, the return of swingman Isaac Okoro will continue to provide some respite on that end, but they will still need the fill the gaping hold due to the absence of both Mobley and Allen.

Everybody said Cleveland employs too many big men on the roster, but in a cruel twist of fate can’t seem to field any one of them right now.  Sure, the impending return of Love and Markkanen will definitely add a much-needed scoring boost, but missing the Tower City duo on the defensive end may prove to be too much.

With matchups against juggernaut teams Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors looming, plus a continuously brutal calendar, struggles will likely fall upon the (surprisingly) 9-6 team. Don’t be surprised if the Cavaliers fall below .500 before November ends.

The Cavaliers’ ability to sustain the inspiring start to the season will now hinge on how soon the key players can work their way back onto the court, as well as the men stepping up to the plate in their stead.