Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley posted 20 points and nine rebounds across 35 minutes in Monday’s 114-98 win over the Magic, but he suffered a left calf strain in the victory. The team announced on Tuesday that Mobley is expected to miss around one-to-three weeks with the injury.
Mobley strained this same calf in December and missed five straight games with the injury. Given he has strained his left calf twice this season, Cleveland will likely be very cautious with his return.
This season, Mobley is averaging 17.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 51.2% from the field. The one-time All-Star ranks second on the Cavaliers in plus/minus and the team is just 3-3 with him inactive this season. With Mobley off the floor, Cleveland’s net rating is 6.8 points per 100 possessions worse than with him on the court.
Mobley getting hurt comes at a particularly bad time as Darius Garland is also sidelined with a toe injury. It is currently uncertain when the guard will return. With Mobley out, Dean Wade is the top candidate to start in his place while Donovan Mitchell should see a huge usage rate, especially if Garland remains out as well.
With Mobley and Garland off the floor this season, Mitchell’s usage rate rises 5.3 percentage points to 38.5%. In that sample, he averages a huge 39.4 points per 36 minutes.
