The Cavs could be shorthanded for the biggest game of their season so far.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have won their first 15 games of the season due in part to the strength of their depth. That depth will be tested as they travel to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics in their NBA Cup group-stage game on Tuesday.
Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade both exited Sunday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets with injuries to their left ankles. Wade’s injury is severe enough to have him ruled out for Tuesday’s game. Okoro could be available as he’s listed as questionable.
Caris LeVert popped up on the injury report with left knee inflammation. This is the same knee that caused him to miss the end of the playoff series against Boston last year and took nearly the whole offseason to feel better again. He is questionable for Tuesday’s matchup.
LeVert has had a phenomenal season, but he had one of his least impactful showings on Sunday. He wasn’t able to create shots for himself and was a step slow on defense. This led to a 1-5 shooting night where he also picked up five fouls. Playing through a knee injury could explain that.
Sam Merrill could be back for Tuesday’s game as he is also questionable. He’s missed the last three games with an ankle injury. Atkinson mentioned on Sunday that Merrill is day-to-day and that this wasn’t a long-term concern.
Donovan Mitchell, who missed Sunday’s game due to rest, is expected to play.
The Cavs will have a tough time matching up with a wing-heavy Boston team if they’re missing a good portion of that position group. Max Strus remains out of the lineup and even if Okoro and LeVert can go, they likely won’t be at 100%. The Cavs could be looking to deploy their zone defense like they did in the fourth quarter on Sunday to counteract this issue.