The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting ready for their biggest test yet. Next, they’ll play the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the NFL Playoffs. Their star guard, Darius Garland, will be missing from action. He’s missed his fourth consecutive postseason contest due to a sprained left toe. Garland hasn’t touched the floor since Game 2 of the opening round against the Miami Heat. On the mobility front, his issues would be negatively affecting him when it comes to making sudden cuts and breaks.
Garland’s absence is especially unfortunate for the Cavaliers as they defend a high-tempo Pacers’ offensive wrecking ball. His ability to stretch the field and run with their speed will be critical for this team’s success. Without him, they will have a hard time holding the line on defense. During Tuesday’s workout, Garland could be seen sprinting on a treadmill adjacent to the team’s practice court. This demonstrates he is making a good faith attempt to rehabilitate. He missed the team’s morning shootaround and was ruled out during pregame shooting around. This has caused a lot of additional speculation and concern about his preparedness.
As the Cavs make their way through the eastern conference playoffs, head coach Kenny Atkinson’s key priority has been getting players healthy while maintaining their top form.
“What I want to make sure is that we have our best players playing in the playoffs,” – Kenny Atkinson
Atkinson expressed his frustration over the escalating player injury toll. One thing he was very disappointed about was the lack of big players such as Garland, which is a huge bummer for the team.
In addition to Garland, De’Andre Hunter, a defensive player of the year and All-Star, is sidelined for this critical matchup. Atkinson went even deeper on this topic, touching on how injuries have wreaked havoc on their wins and losses this season.
“It bothers me that we have a defensive player of the year, All-Star, and a great player like De’Andre Hunter that are out for this game because in my opinion, all three of those plays were excessive.” – Kenny Atkinson
The Cavaliers get ready for their most important game of the season thus far. They need to plan for game No. The team’s depth will be tested as they aim to overcome these setbacks and secure a crucial win against the Pacers.
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