The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a pleasant surprise to kick off the 2021-22 NBA season. The young Eastern Conference team has raced off to a 9-6 start just a year after winning only 22 games.
Unfortunately, the road ahead for the Cavaliers just got a bit more difficult, as one of their young stars will miss some time due to an injury.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 16, 2021
“>Cleveland announced Tuesday that rookie big man Evan Mobley suffered a right elbow injury in Monday night’s game against the Boston Celtics. He underwent an MRI the following morning and was diagnosed with an elbow sprain.
According to the Cavs, Mobley will miss approximately 2-4 weeks with the injury. The team will provide further updates as appropriate.
Mobley apparently sustained the injury during the third quarter of Monday’s game against the Celtics. Prior to leaving the contest, the 2021 No. 2 overall pick struggled, going 0-for-11 with just one point, nine rebounds and five assists.
Although he couldn’t put the ball in the basket on Monday, Mobley’s early season performance has been stellar. The seven-footer has put his imprint on just about every Cavaliers game and in a variety of different ways.
In 15 games to start his rookie year, Mobley has averaged 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists. However, it’s his defense that has impressed the most, with his ability to successfully switch onto quicker guards making him indispensable for Cleveland and an early frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year.
The Cavaliers have been the true beneficiaries of Mobley’s strong start, racing out to a 9-6 record. Over the last three seasons, Cleveland has never won more than 22 games, but is already on pace to shatter that mark.
So long as the Cavs can weather the storm with Mobley out, they should be positioned to compete for a playoff spot later this season.