If you’ve been following the Cavs’ injury report throughout the regular season, you’ve probably noticed that Jarrett Allen is their biggest injury concern heading into the play-in game. Allen fractured his left middle finger against the Raptors on March 7, missing the rest of the regular season. Despite the injury, Allen averaged 16.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game this season. He’ll attempt to play in Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Jarrett Allen
The Cleveland Cavaliers are keeping a close eye on Jarrett Allen’s status for Monday’s play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Allen fractured his left middle finger against the Raptors on March 7, causing him to miss the rest of the regular season. Allen has worked out before a game against Brooklyn this week, and the team is optimistic that he will be able to play Friday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been plagued by injuries this season. They have already lost their leading scorer Collin Sexton and veteran guard Ricky Rubio. All-Star guard Darius Garland is also sidelined with a back bruise. The team is also without the services of Caris LeVert and Rajon Rondo, so Allen’s absence will be devastating for the Cavs.
Caris LeVert
The Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten the news that guard Caris LeVert is out for one to two weeks with a sprained right foot. LeVert suffered the sprain during practice Tuesday after stepping on a teammate’s foot. He underwent a subsequent MRI on Wednesday, which revealed the sprain. The injury is the first serious a guard has suffered since he was drafted by the Indiana Pacers last season. The injury has slowed his progress, but his play has been incredibly impressive since his arrival in the league.
The Pacers are cautiously optimistic about LeVert’s recovery, though. After the Pacers acquired him in January, the team hoped that the injury would not be too severe. While LeVert is dealing with the pain and discomfort in his back, the team is putting its faith in a second opinion and hopes he will be fine in time for the season opener. LeVert is reportedly working out with a physical therapist in order to determine the extent of his injury.
Collin Sexton
The latest Collin Sexton injury report shows that the forward is fully recovered from the torn meniscus in his left knee. Sexton underwent surgery to repair the meniscus in November, but missed the remainder of the season. While Sexton will most likely miss the rest of the season, he is expected to command a salary of at least $20 million a year in free agency. This news is particularly helpful for those who own fantasy basketball teams.
The pending return of Collin Sexton could influence how the Cavs approach negotiations with him. If he’s fully healthy before the 2022-23 season, the team might be more willing to offer him a new contract. Sexton has a history of injury issues and has been sidelined for the past few seasons. Despite the long-term absence, the Cavs could easily be contenders for the Eastern Conference title.
Ricky Rubio
The Ricky Rubio injury report has arrived, and it’s a sad one. Rubio, who was acquired from Minnesota in the summer, has averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. This is one of the most underrated players on the Cavaliers. But he’s already had a tough season, playing in just 34 games, and his latest injury will derail his season.
Despite being under contract for the rest of the season, the injury to Ricky Rubio is not good news for the Cavaliers. Rubio tore his ACL in the middle of the season, and his team had hoped to make the playoffs even without him. The injury comes just as Cleveland’s young team needs to fill a key role. He was poised to be the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid has suffered a left shoulder injury after colliding with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Ante Zizic in the first quarter of Friday’s game. He subsequently missed three games, but was able to return in time for Game 3 of Philadelphia’s first-round series against the Heat. The injury is not expected to require surgery. The team has not given a definite timetable for Embiid’s return to the lineup.
While it’s still too early to evaluate Embiid’s health, the Sixers are in better shape than the Cavs. Embiid has played in two games against them this season, including the first meeting against the Sixers. He finished with a 40 point, triple-double performance in 33 minutes. The Cavs were swept by the 76ers in their last meeting, but the Sixers have too much heart to be written off. Sunday’s game is on local television and NBA League Pass.
Cedi Osman
The Cleveland Cavaliers have announced that wing Cedi Osman is out for approximately two weeks after sustaining a left hip flexor strain. Osman suffered the injury during the third quarter of Friday’s game against Atlanta. The 21-year-old had steadily developed into a valuable rotation player. In his first 54 NBA games, Osman averaged 3.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.
Osman, the second-longest-tenured player on the Cavs after Kevin Love, was moved to a bench role with Isaac Okoro this past season. The move cost him one of the best seasons of his career. His minutes have declined every year since the rebuild began. He started only three games last season. This could prove to be the beginning of Osman’s downfall.
