Cavaliers Vs Pistons: cavaliers vs pistons matchup sees Harden, Mitchell among 4 out
DETROIT — The Cleveland Cavaliers will be shorthanded for Friday night's cavaliers vs pistons game, with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden each missing a second straight contest. Guard Keon Ellis and forward Dean Wade were also listed out for the matchup in Detroit.
Cavaliers Vs Pistons status
Mitchell is considered day-to-day with a right groin strain, and coach Kenny Atkinson said the team is not worried about the injury lingering. "We don't love soft tissue injuries, obviously, " Atkinson said before Friday's game. "The feedback I'm getting is that it's not a long-term thing. "
Harden's fractured right thumb
Harden has not played since he fractured his right thumb on Tuesday night. He wore a protective brace on his thumb at shootaround Friday morning and attempted to dribble and shoot but was still feeling discomfort. "I know this morning he was struggling a little, just dribbling, " Atkinson said. "I mean, the thing's broken.... If you have a hard time dribbling and catching, that's [tough]. "
The injury has interrupted the momentum Cleveland had been building since the trade deadline. With Harden in the lineup the Cavs had gone 6-1 in seven games, and Harden was averaging 18. 9 points and 8. 0 assists on 49% shooting with his new squad. Part of the rationale for acquiring Harden was his durability, and "we've got to get the feedback from James, " Atkinson said. "I mean, there's no tougher guy in the league. No one more available. No one that wants to play more. So we'll see how it goes. "
Roster hits: Ellis, Wade and Schroder
Keon Ellis sat out Friday after fracturing his left index finger in Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ellis had played nine games for the Cavs since being acquired from the Sacramento Kings at the deadline, averaging 6. 4 points and shooting 51% as one of the team's key reserves.
Dean Wade, who had moved into the starting lineup in the past few months, is sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Another rotation name on recent injury lists is Dennis Schroder, who has a right ankle sprain. The severity of the new injuries was described as unclear in the provided context.
Recent sequence and team impact
Tuesday's win over the New York Knicks had appeared to mark a turning point for the new-look Cavaliers, but that game also produced Harden's thumb injury and led to Mitchell being added to the injury report with a groin strain. Cleveland then lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday amid concerns about perimeter defense, and the club added Ellis and Wade to the report after the subsequent games.
Sources told Shams Charania this week that Harden plans to play through the injury, but the Cavs want him to get to a point where he can tolerate the pain. Atkinson said Harden "did say it was improved from since he did it. It wasn't like, 'Man, it still feels the same. ' It was like, 'Man, it's better than it was two days ago. '"
Analysis from commentators and medical notes
On a discussion about Harden's condition, Kevin O'Connor and Tom Haberstroh debated how a fractured right thumb could affect the left-handed Harden. Observers noted that this type of injury can involve the tip of the thumb and that catching a ball wrong or taking a hit to the thumb could be painful. They also suggested defenders could try to hack at a player's hands and that drawing fouls might become a larger part of Harden's approach. Jeff Stotts and Brian Sutera were mentioned as injury analysts in that conversation.
Depth and outlook
Atkinson emphasized the team's depth as a buffer against injuries. "We got great depth. I don't think we're in the position we are in without our depth, " he said. "Looking at the most injured teams this year, we're one of the few that's kind of stayed afloat. That's a fact. "
Mitchell missing his second straight game with a groin strain revived concerns about recurring late-February/early-March injuries for him in recent seasons, and some discussed the possibility that shutting him down for several games, if needed, would be in the club's long-term interest. The context states that more information about Mitchell's status was expected when Atkinson spoke with the media on Friday evening.
With Harden, Mitchell, Ellis and Wade all unavailable for the Friday night matchup in Detroit and Schroder also adding to the injury list, Cleveland will face the Pistons short-handed and will have to rely on depth to keep its recent run intact.
