Cavaliers' Evan Mobley Out 1-2 Weeks With Ankle Injury Diagnosed as Sprain
The Cleveland Cavaliers announced second-year forward Evan Mobley will be out for one to two weeks after suffering a right ankle sprain.
The Cavs had high hopes for the 20-year-old when they selected him third overall in the 2021 NBA draft. Much like the team itself, Mobley exceeded expectations in 2021-22.
The 7'0" forward averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 69 games. He also helped Cleveland put together one of the NBA's better defenses. The team was fifth in defensive rating at 108.9, per NBA.com.
But after heading into the All-Star break looking like they could earn a top-four seed, the Cavaliers hit a wall. That was due in no small part to Jarrett Allen's fractured finger and a sprained left ankle for Mobley. The team also lost Dean Wade and Collin Sexton to season-ending injuries.
Despite Cleveland losing its two play-in tournament games, the season was a major success all things considered.
Looking to the future, Mobley and Darius Garland are the two franchise centerpieces, and the front office clearly believes they can achieve big things together. Acquiring Donovan Mitchell was a sign of how far general manager Koby Altman believes the Cavs can go with a core of Mobley, Garland and Allen.
It's not a championship-or-bust season ahead for Cleveland, but Mobley's presence helps offset some of Mitchell's defensive deficiencies on the perimeter. And the Cavs saw last year how much their collective defense can suffer when Mobley is out of the lineup for even a brief stretch.
