Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dylan Windler To Miss 4-6 Weeks; Jarrett Allen Out Wednesday

November 16th, 2022 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Cavaliers wing Dylan Windler has received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his injured right ankle, the team confirmed today in a press release.

According to the Cavaliers, Windler will miss approximately four-to-six weeks while recovering, with the ankle stabilized in a walking cast for the time being. Health issues have limited the former first-round pick to just 81 total appearances since he entered the NBA in 2019.

Meanwhile, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has officially been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Milwaukee, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. However, it sounds like Allen’s left ankle soreness, which sidelined him on Sunday, is no longer the primary issue — he’s listed on the official injury report as having a non-COVID illness.

Jarrett Allen Not Expected To Travel To Milwaukee

November 15th, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

In a Twitter thread, Eric Nehm of The Athletic provides a series of health-related updates on Bucks players, noting that Jrue Holiday (ankle sprain) and Pat Connaughton (calf strain) both practiced on Tuesday, though their statuses for Wednesday’s game vs. the Cavs are to be determined. Holiday has missed Milwaukee’s last three contests, while Connaughton hasn’t played yet this season.

Although J.B. Bickerstaff‘s comments on Sunday suggested the Cavaliers hoped Jarrett Allen would be back for Wednesday’s game vs. the Bucks, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) hears from a source that Allen isn’t expected to travel to Milwaukee with the team.

Allen Should Return This Week

November 13th, 2022 at 8:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jarrett Allen missed Sunday’s game due to ankle soreness but coach J.B. Bickerstaff indicated prior to the game the Cavaliers center will likely return this week, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic tweets. “The thinking behind it is having today will give him like four days of rest before Milwaukee (on Wednesday),” Bickerstaff said. “It’s just been sore and he’s been powering through it.”

Donovan Mitchell Questionable For Sunday

November 12th, 2022 at 5:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Timberwolves due to a right ankle strain, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Jarrett Allen and Dean Wade are also questionable, and there are concerns that Wade might have bursitis in his right knee (Twitter link).

Donovan Mitchell On Fit With Cavs, Offseason, Gobert

November 11th, 2022 at 10:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Even after dropping back-to-back games, the Cavaliers have been one of the best teams in the league in the early portion of the 2022/23 season, holding an 8-3 record and the NBA’s second-best net rating. Three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is the primary reason for Cleveland’s success, averaging career highs of 31.9 points and 5.8 assists on a career-best shooting line of .514/.448/.862 in 10 games (39.2 minutes per contest).

Mitchell spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic after Wednesday’s loss to the Kings, addressing a number of different topics, including the surprising trade that sent him to Cleveland from Utah. It’s worth checking out in full for any subscribers to The Athletic. Here are a few highlights:

On why he has fit so well with the Cavs:

“I look at who I’ve been in my career — a guy who could score the ball. (But) I’m asserting myself on a different level defensively. Having another dominant guard (in Darius Garland) who can get you 30 (points on any given night) and also having ‘Vert (Caris LeVert), who can do the same, it relieves that pressure a little bit and allows you to be more engaged defensively, to be there and have the energy. And then on top of that, my coaches (head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his staff) and my teammates allow me to just go, to be myself — whatever that means.

It’s been scoring for the past few games, but it’s passing, it’s leading. I’m being myself, and honestly I have (former Jazz teammates) Ricky Rubio and Mike Conley to thank for that. Joe Ingles. They’ve taught me different things. So being able to come here in a group where we all have the same intentions (has been good). Last year, I didn’t play my best basketball. I had the worst playoff series of my career. So that stings — being out early. Then you look here, and they were done a week and a half before I was, so they have that same feeling.

On if he was looking for a change of scenery in the offseason:

“I felt it was coming, you know? So I embraced it and I started to accept it. I mean, yeah. After Rudy (Gobert) got traded, it was like, ‘Okay, this is the direction we’re going, like, why not?'”

On his relationship with Gobert and their tenure with the Jazz:

“You know, we gave Utah a lot of special moments. But you know, we didn’t get the job done. Him and I have a great relationship, despite what people may feel. On the court, it didn’t work. I don’t hate Rudy. He doesn’t hate me. It was just one of those things where it just didn’t work out, and I feel like we live in a world where everybody’s gotta hate each other and there’s gotta be some negative thing and that’s just not the case. When I see him on Sunday, I’m gonna give him a hug and smile and laugh. And when we’re on the court, it’s time to go at it. That’s really what it is.”

Cavaliers Notes: Windler, Bickerstaff, Mitchell, Allen

November 9th, 2022 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers swingman Dylan Windler will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection in his injured right ankle, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Windler made the decision after getting a second opinion from a doctor that his agent recommended, Fedor adds. Windler is expected to be in a walking boot for about three weeks after the PRP shot, and the team hopes a new treatment plan will help him avoid surgery.

Windler has been out of action since trying to contest a teammate’s shot during the final practice before Cleveland’s first preseason game. The injury wasn’t believed to be serious, and there was an expectation that he would be ready for the regular season opener October 19.

After three weeks of rehab, Windler was able to dress for the Cavs’ November 2 game in Boston, though he didn’t see any playing time. But the ankle started hurting again the next morning and he didn’t travel with the team on its current five-game road trip.

Fedor notes that injuries have been a recurring issue for Windler since he was selected with the 26th pick in the 2019 draft. He missed his entire first season due to a stress fracture in his leg and has played in just 81 out of 229 games.

There’s more on the Cavaliers:

Even though Cleveland has one of the league’s best records, the team is still learning how to be a contender, Fedor states in a separate story. Some of the Cavs’ shortcomings were on display Monday as they let a double-digit lead slip away in the final minutes against the Clippers. “Through all the hype, we’re a team that is still building,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “As a coach, you don’t expect to win them all. You expect to have some adversity and ups and downs. But it’s all about what happens next.”
The Cavaliers should consider making Donovan Mitchell their primary closer late in close games, Fedor adds. He has been sharing that role with backcourt partner Darius Garland, but Mitchell has more experience from his time in Utah.
Jarrett Allen‘s career took off after he was traded to the Cavaliers in January 2021, but he wasn’t excited about the deal at first, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Allen, who made his first All-Star team and signed a contract extension in Cleveland, said he needed time to adjust to the city. “It did take some growing,” Allen said. “It’s not a good perception of Cleveland around the league, that’s just the honest truth. Nobody sees Cleveland as like, ‘Oh, I want to go there.’ But once I got here, it was like, I do want to be here. I thought that I just fit in well.”

Mitchell Keeps Ego In Check With New Teammates

November 8th, 2022 at 10:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Donovan Mitchell quickly became aware of the team-first culture in the Cavaliers’ organization after being traded by Utah and he took steps to make sure he fit right in, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Cleveland players, coaches and front-office members noticed Mitchell showed no ego from preseason workouts through the start of the season.

Knicks Notes: Roster, Robinson, Hartenstein, Toppin, Grimes

November 5th, 2022 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ reluctance to gamble on a big move this summer has left them with an imperfect roster and no star power to lean on, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. New York is off to a 4-5 start, but the wins came against three rebuilding teams and the shorthanded Sixers, while the losses were to probable playoff teams built around All-Stars.

The offseason was defined by an unwillingness to meet Utah’s price for Donovan Mitchell, who was subsequently traded to Cleveland. Coach Tom Thibodeau was a strong advocate for making the Mitchell trade, according to Popper, who hears from an NBA source that the Knicks had bad intel and believed the Cavs weren’t willing to give the Jazz everything they wanted. Knicks executive Brock Aller argued against giving up three unprotected first-round picks for Mitchell, Popper adds.

The Knicks were also in position to outbid Atlanta for Dejounte Murray, Popper contends. He cites recent mistakes such as signing Evan Fournier in 2021 when Thibodeau preferred to keep Reggie Bullock and taking Obi Toppin ahead of Tyrese Haliburton in the 2020 draft.

There’s more on the Knicks:

Thibodeau described the right knee sprain that center Mitchell Robinson suffered on Friday night as “mild,” per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Robinson will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days to determine when he can resume playing. The injury increases the value of offseason addition Isaiah Hartenstein, who is expected to be the starting center while Robinson is out. “He’s done everything that we were hopeful of, and we obviously studied him quite a bit,” Thibodeau said of Hartenstein. “The rim protection obviously has been very, very good. Pick-and-roll defense, very good. And then offensively, just to pull people away from the basket, play-make, very good passer. Good in the paint. And so I think as he gets more comfortable, you’ll see more and more from him.”
The Knicks are downplaying an argument during the fourth quarter of Friday’s game between Toppin and assistant coach Rick Brunson, Bondy states in the same story. They reportedly resolved their differences, and they have a solid relationship as Brunson trained Toppin while he was preparing for the draft. “Just normal NBA stuff,” Thibodeau said. “Heat of the battle.”
Quentin Grimes was held out of tonight’s game because of soreness in his left foot, the same issue that caused him to miss the season’s first six games, Bondy adds.

Bickerstaff Blames Himself For Okoro's Slow Start

November 5th, 2022 at 3:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Prior to Friday’s victory over Detroit, Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) that he has spoken to third-year wing Isaac Okoro multiple times about his rough start to the season. According to Fedor, Bickerstaff said he blames himself for Okoro’s struggles, noting that the former No. 5 overall pick has been in-and-out of the starting lineup — and rotation — multiple times during the team’s 7-1 start. Okoro is averaging just 2.4 PPG and 1.5 RPG through eight games (16.0 MPG), and is 0-for-11 from three-point range.

Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland Out Friday For Cavs

November 4th, 2022 at 5:32pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers will be without their star backcourt for Friday’s game at Detroit, as Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell were both injured during Wednesday’s victory over Boston, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Neither injury is considered serious, but obviously they’re hobbled enough to be out tonight.

As Fedor writes in another story for Cleveland.com, both players had previously been listed as questionable. Garland sprained his left knee trying to track down a loose ball against the Celtics, while Mitchell suffered a sprained left ankle. Garland and Mitchell were partial participants during Friday’s shootaround, with Fedor noting that Garland was icing his knee afterward.

According to Fedor, the Cavs will shuffle their starting lineup around to account for the absence of the two All-Star guards, with Caris LeVert moving to point guard, Isaac Okoro at shooting guard, and Dean Wade at small forward. Fedor also reports that reserve point guard Raul Neto, a free agent addition over the summer, will be available Friday after dealing with a sprained ankle of his own that caused him to miss Wednesday’s game.

The Cavaliers confirmed the news that Garland and Mitchell will be out (Twitter link).

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Garland, who had missed five straight games after suffering a lacerated eyelid in the season opener in Toronto. Kelsey Russo of The Athletic has the story on Garland’s eye injury and recovery process, writing that the 22-year-old had impaired vision when trying dribble with his right hand, so he mostly worked on his left during the two weeks he was out.

“Yeah, I was super scared,” Garland admitted. “When it first happened, I rolled over, I felt blood coming out of my eye. So that’s when I got really nervous. And I was ready for surgery in Toronto. I was expecting that. I was expecting stitches and being out a couple of months. But by the grace of God, I’m here with two eyes now and I’m back and I’m healthy.”

Garland and Mitchell looked like a natural fit playing alongside one another during their first full regular season game, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. The two guards combined for 55 points, 11 rebounds, 18 assists, four steals, two blocks and only one turnover during the 114-113 overtime win.

Mitchell says there will be a learning curve as they grow accustomed to one another, but it was certainly a promising start.

“There’s going to be times where it doesn’t look smooth and clean,” Mitchell said. “But as far as us feeling in the flow … both of us are trying to find ways to make each other better. When you start camp off with Coach having to sit both of us down and say, ‘Stop passing the ball to each other — shoot the ball,’ I think that’s a good start.”

Friday’s road game at Detroit will be followed by a four-game west coast road trip against the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Warriors. The Cavs have gotten off to a terrific start, currently sitting with a 6-1 record.