The Cleveland Cavaliers are doing great, but they can be better.
Donovan Mitchell's injury can elevate them, though.
However, they will have to wait a little longer as the five-time All-Star continues to deal with injuries.
Spida missed seven games with a bone bruise injury in his knee and returned on March 13 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
He played against the Houston Rockets three days later, and that is the last Cleveland fans will see him for now after another setback that made him miss the game against the Indiana Pacers.
Read more: Former NBA Sensation Jeremy Lin Receives Ban for Violating Anti-Doping Rules
The team went 2-1 in that span, and Mitchell averaged 13.5 points per game in his two-game return. That number is less than half of the 27.4 ppg he has produced this season.
Cleveland announced he will be out for at least one week due to a nasal fracture. He will be re-evaluated after a medical procedure.
"Donovan Mitchell sustained a nasal fracture at Houston on March 16 and missed the Cavaliers' next game at Indiana on March 18. A medical procedure was performed this morning at Cleveland Clinic to realign the affected area. Mitchell will be reevaluated in approximately one week and his status will be updated as appropriate," the statement reads.
The announcement confirmed he will miss the games against the Miami Heat at home, the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road, the Heat again at the Kaseya Center, and the Charlotte Hornets back at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The team will wrap up March with another home game against the Hornets, followed by a visit by the Philadelphia 76ers and a road trip to Colorado to face the Denver Nuggets.
Is Donovan Mitchell's injury a cause for concern?
The current development should be very disappointing for Cavs fans. Even coach J.B. Bickerstaff thought they could regain Mitchell at full strength after a long rest.
"You're always obviously concerned, but we're confident these next steps will be the steps that are necessary [to get him healthy]," Bickerstaff said last week.
"It was one of those things where he was trying to play through it, but he just was hampered and you could see he couldn't explode, he couldn't move in certain directions because of the pain and how it was limited."
Mitchell is the team's top scorer, but the Cavaliers have been impressive in his absence.
They are currently in the Top 3 in the Eastern Conference standings, just half a game behind the No. 2 Milwaukee Bucks.
With a 43-25 record, the team wants to ensure a Top 4 finish to guarantee themselves a home-court advantage come playoff time.
The New York Knicks are breathing down their necks with a 41-27 record as of this writing.
The team has been dealing with injuries to their starting unit since the start of the season.
Main point guard Darius Garland has played fewer games than Mitchell, with 44, while Evan Mobley has played just 38 games. The 2023 NBA All-Defensive First Team member hasn't played a game since their win against the league-leading Boston Celtics on March 6.
Related article: Team USA's Path to Paris Olympics Gold Gets Harder After Tournament Draw Results
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.