Cavs big man Evan Mobley gets the latest on his nagging calf injury

Heavy is the head that wears the crown and Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to feel the weight of their dominant start to the season. Injuries were piling on for the Cavs lately, the most troubling comes from the big man Evan Mobley, who dealt with excruciating calf injury.

Mobley’s injury ranged from calf pain to a calf strain. Cleveland’s big star has missed two games in a row due to injury. Not having Mobley available has changed the way Cleveland operates on both ends of the floor. Luckily, the Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson updated Mobley’s status before Cleveland acquired the Phoenix Suns.

“I think it’s going to be day-to-day,” Atkinson said. “At least, that’s what Steve (Spiro, the Cavs’ head athletic trainer) told me.” Not a bad strain. (It is a) mild strain. I don’t think it will be long term. I think it will be a pretty short thing.”

Atkinson confirmed that this injury was caused by a “shot” to the lower leg. Mobley is in the midst of the best season of his career. He is pushing hard for the All-Star Game, averaging 18.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while being one of the best defenders in the league.

Again, the Cavs felt Mobley’s lack of presence. However, with Mobley sidelined, Atkinson noted that it opened a window for big man Jarrett Allen to step up and become a two-way wrecking crew.

Cavs big man Jarrett Allen ‘relished’ the opportunity without Evan Mobley

“Obviously he’d prefer Evan to be there to support him, but I also think he kind of likes it,” Atkinson said. “Now you are the main target.” You are the main threat to the skull.

“… JA subtly likes responsibility. He enjoys it. I felt in the Minnesota game, even with his edge protection, I felt like, “I’m the only one here. I have to do it, and I have to do it alone.’ So as more responsibility is placed on him, he enjoys it.

“That being said, he wants Evan to be there to support him. But he’s just a quiet competitor.”

In the few games without Mobley this season, Allen has been sensational for the Cavs. In the three games without Mobley available, Allen averaged 19.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 35.2 minutes per game.

Defensively, Allen anchored the Cavs, stepping up to overcompensate for Mobley’s absence on the floor. Again, as Atkinson noted, Cleveland would prefer to have both Mobley and Allen available. However, the Cavs have continued to work despite not having Mobley, which is encouraging as the season goes on.

Kenny Atkinson gives an update on Cleveland forward Isaac Okoro

Cavs forward Isaac Okoro has been out with a shoulder injury since mid-December. Since the initial injury, he has played five games, but he was not himself. The Cavs want to give Okoro the time he needs to get back to the level of player he was before the injury.

“We want him in a great place when he comes back,” Atkinson said. We just have to figure out what it looks like. And there are many obstacles to getting there.”

Okoro has recorded 10 points in the five games he has played since the injury and shot just 3-24 in those outings. Clearly, the nagging shoulder injury is still affecting his production on the field. However, according to Atkinson, it was something Okoro tried to play down.

“But I think when he came back, he was still a bit sore,” Atkinson said of Okoro. “He’s such a tough guy that he wanted to go through with it.” … I think it affects your shooting a little bit. He won’t say it, but we know it was. We’ll try to fix it in the long run.”