The Cavaliers announced on Monday that power forward Evan Mobley would miss one-to-two weeks due to a right ankle sprain. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff is confident that he’ll have Mobley back in action by opening night, according to Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.
“We’ll always be safe with our guys, but right now there isn’t a concern that he would miss the start of the season,” Bickerstaff said.
In the meantime, Bickerstaff will look at different combinations during the preseason.
“It gives other people an opportunity to play different spots, and get more minutes and more reps and allows us to get more things on film that we can kind of dissect,” he said.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Raptors went most of last season with a rotation of players no taller than 6’9”. That could change this season if 7’1” Christian Koloko can establish a rotation spot, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Coach Nick Nurse wants Koloko to become a shot-blocking presence. “For me, he’s a shot blocker, first and foremost,” Nurse said. “I’ll use the same analogy as I used (about) getting to the rim: If you want to block shots, you better take some swings out there. And I want to up his number of swings he takes at the ball.”
- The Raptors might have to take a small step back this season to set up a bigger step forward in 2024 or 2025, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines in his season preview. Hollinger forecasts a top-six finish in the Eastern Conference with the possibility of the Raptors advancing out of the first round but no further.
- Knicks guard RJ Barrett received his lucrative rookie scale extension this offseason but still feels he doesn’t receive the same accolades as his peers, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “Besides the fans, which we do have a lot of fans, everybody else really doesn’t like us,” Barrett said. “Everybody else doesn’t like us. I mean, I don’t know. It’s weird. I’ve gotten respect, but at the same time, there’s a lot of disrespect. But that’s fine. All the guys that they want to put in front of me or whatever, I’m in their heads. So it really doesn’t matter.”
- Bulls first-rounder Dalen Terry won’t mind going to the G League to develop his skills. He just wants to get playing time this season, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. “Do whatever I can do to stay on the floor,” Terry said.
After seeing Terry in the 1st pre season game, I saw that he can play some minutes with the Bulls. He more than held his own. Ayo has bulked up and improved his long range shooting and should start at the 1 until Lonzo comes back. And last of all nobody got hurt which is all I really cared about. I don’t care if they lose every game in the pre season as long as nobody else gets hurt and they’ll be fine.
Agreed. Would like to see the defense be a little more in sync by the end of pre-season, but it’ll be a season long project.
How any All-NBA Teams Barrett been on again? Times won MIP? At most he has a case for the All-Rookie Team(s) snub…from a class 3 years ago..
His numbers might combat those of 6th Man of the Year winners in the past couple of years…but as a starter, what are we saying here?
RJ Barrett feeling disrespected? So a guy who is already overrated as a Knicks player feels disrespected? A guy whose every move is made out to be bigger than it is, feels disrespected?
It’s like a guy who can barely be a data entry clerk, being given a supervisor position, but complaining that he should be a VP on the company Board of Directors.