We still aren’t sure who is playing on Friday.
Everyone is waiting to find out who will be available for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. That wait might take longer than we’d like. Only Donovan Mitchell received a positive injury update today. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter remain totally unknown.
UPDATE: Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports there is “optimism” that all three of Mobley, Garland and Hunter will “try to play” on Friday.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson said that he “doesn’t anticipate” Mitchell will have any injury label for Friday’s Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers. He confirmed the opposite for Garland, Hunter and Mobley. All three are questionable.
The Cavs had what Atkinson would describe as a shootaround on Thursday before heading to Indianapolis. No one participated in any contact drill. The three questionable players participated in the shootaround.
This has been a frustrating process for everyone, including for Atkinson.
“It’s so hard with these,” Atkinson said Thursday when asked about the injuries, specifically Garland’s, who’s been listed as questionable but missed the team’s last four playoff games.
“The only way I can answer that is if I kind of got in their bodies. Otherwise, I’m just playing a guessing game. You just never know. And I do think this is just life in the NBA. I think it’s frustrating for all of us, right? It’s not an indictment on anybody or the players. It’s not any of that. It’s just, you know, injuries are a tough thing.”
Garland has been questionable to play since Game 3 of the Miami Heat series. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reassured the fanbase that Garland is “truly hurt” and struggling with a toe sprain. At a certain point, players can only be so effective with an injury that affects their mobility. Atkinson urged fans to understand this sentiment.
“You have to support him,” Atkinson said. “He wants to desperately get on the court.”
Hunter dislocated his thumb in Game 1 of the second round. He’ll have four full days of rest before Game 3. It’s unclear if he’ll be able to play.
Mobley twisted his ankle at the end of Game 1. As of Tuesday, Mobley was still dealing with swelling and unable to put his full weight on the ankle.
It’s impossible to say who will play on Friday. We likely won’t have a concrete answer until shortly before tip-off. So buckle up for a tense 24 hours, Cavs fans.