The carousel at small forward will continue to spin with several injuries to the rotation.
The spinning wheel that is the small forward spot for the Cleveland Cavaliers will continue to whirl wildly.
Sound familiar?
Cavs forward Dean Wade could reportedly be out until after the All-Star break with a knee injury according to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. Wade suffered the injury last Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving midway through the game and not returning.
According to Fedor, a recent scan revealed that Wade suffered a bone bruise in his right knee that will have a recovery timeline of multiple weeks. It is worth noting that this injury is independent of any of Wade’s past knee injuries, including the meniscus issue that hampered him at the end of last season. Fedor also says that there is no structural damage to the knee and that it is not expected to be a long-term issue.
The team announced on Tuesday afternoon that Wade will be reevaluated in two weeks with his injury. This timeline would put the reevaluation happening near the All-Star break that begins on Feb. 16.
The Cavs will be without perhaps their most impactful small forward option for at least the next few weeks. The Cavs’ first game out of the break will be Feb. 20 on the road against the Brooklyn Nets, nearly a full month since the knee injury occurred.
The impact of Dean Wade is and has been for several seasons deceptively high. The 28-year-old has been a defensive stalwart with his ability to stick with defenders, contest shots, and get into passing lanes. Coupled with his capacity to hit three-pointers and stretch the floor, Wade is the ultimate low-usage high-impact wing. The Cavs are not only a little better with Wade on the floor, but a lot better.
With Wade on the shelf and Isaac Okoro still dealing with a shoulder injury, the Cavs are once again thin at the wing. Max Strus will now enter the starting lineup for the foreseeable future as the defensive stopper and three-point threat.
Strus certainly plays with energy, that much is certain. He bodied up Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham and helped hold him to 9-26 shooting in Monday’s game, which is no small feat. The Cavs will need more of that over the next month.