Home » Fatigue Beginning to Kick In for the Short-Handed Cleveland Cavaliers

Fatigue Beginning to Kick In for the Short-Handed Cleveland Cavaliers

Publish Date: November 19, 2021

The Cleveland Cavaliers are beginning to show fatigue with an extremely thin and porous roster as the injury report is turning into a mass of players. Cleveland cannot catch a break this week on the injury report, and that is leading to a downhill slide for the Cavs. The Wine and Gold lost 109-99 in Brooklyn vs. the Nets Wednesday evening and then dropped a game 104-89 to the Warriors Thursday night. Accounting for all of the Cavaliers’ injuries leading to fatigued players, their gritty performances against two NBA title contenders on back-to-back nights was very encouraging.

Cleveland Fought Despite Having a Thin Roster

Jarrett Allen, the Cavs’ center fresh off a five-year extension, did not quickly recover from the illness that held him out vs. Boston Monday night. Instead, Allen missed both the Nets and Warriors games. Once again, Cleveland was without four of its starters since Lauri Markkanen is still not ready off of the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Thursday against Golden State, another Cav was added to the injury report. Cedi Osman—who has been a key bench player—missed the Warriors game with back spasms. All things considered, it was rather impressive the Cavaliers hung with the Nets and Warriors. The Cleveland starting lineup was not ideal whatsoever: Darius Garland, Ricky Rubio, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade and Ed Davis.

Cleveland managed to come back from 23 points behind against Brooklyn despite a thin roster. The game was competitive until the last handful of minutes in the fourth quarter. Both Garland and Rubio had 20+ scoring nights, carrying the Cavs’ offense. But in the end, the Cavaliers were not going to overcome Kevin Durant and James Harden with a short-handed lineup.

Believe it or not, the night after the Cavs fought hard against vs. the Warriors. The Wine and Gold controlled most of the game going into the fourth quarter. This is when the fatigue really started to show for the Cavaliers. In the entire fourth quarter, Cleveland’s offense was lackadaisical, totaling only eight points in one quarter. Yes, the Cavs scored only eight points in 12 minutes of pro basketball. The fatigue is starting to certainly show.

The Cavs Should Finally Get Several Players Back

Finally, the Cavaliers should have help coming in Monday’s matchup with the Nets. One of, maybe even both, Allen or Markkanen should be back. That gives the Cavs two starters back which will be a huge help. Simply getting two regular players in the rotation back will be huge. Plus, Allen and Markkanen are some of the most vital players to this team’s success. Osman returning off of back spasms could be in the cards as well.

The fact Cleveland even had respectable losses vs. the Nets and Warriors is a testament to what J.B. Bickerstaff has built. The Cavs continue to fight, scratch and claw in every single outing. In the end, that is what makes a winning, competitive team in the NBA. The hope is the Cavaliers can hang around .500 for the next month. Then, when the roster gets near full health and the schedule becomes more favorable, Cleveland can fight to get into the playoff picture. The Cavaliers can now enjoy the three days of rest ahead; that is desperately needed right now with a short-handed, fatigued roster.

Featured image courtesy of Tony Dejak/AP Photo

You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers like Riley!

“From Our Haus to Yours”

Leave A Reply

* required
Read Also
Should the Spurs Sign Chris Paul?
Chris Paul may be available this offseason if he is cut by ...
Terrence Ross Officially Joins Phoenix Suns
Free agent Terrence Ross has signed a deal to join the Phoenix ...
Kevin Durant Traded to the Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant has been traded to the Phoenix Suns along with T.J. ...
3 Wings the Philadelphia 76ers Should Target at Trade Deadline
As the 76ers pursue a deep playoff run, they will likely be ...
Lakers End-of-Year Schedule
As 2022 comes to an end, here is a look at the ...
The Game Haus aims to bring unbiased, factually sound opinions to audiences across a range of mediums that are not readily accessible in the day-to-day media outlets. We cover the latest news in Gaming, Call of Duty, CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, Fighting Games, NBA 2K, Halo, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Pokemon, Rocket League, Smite, Starcraft II, Fantasy Sports, MLS, EPL, MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NCAAB, NCAAF, NFL, NHL, and PGA.


Next to our unbiased coverage for esports and sports, have a look at our iGaming content. If you are looking for the most recommended Esports Betting Sites or Best Sports Betting Sites, look no further. We also cover the Best Sweepstakes Casinos in our free 2 play section and have a closer look at the Best DFS Sites out there. If you are looking for some real money options, check how we ranked the Best Online Casinos.


Follow us on Social Media for updates!
Sports: Facebook | Twitter
Esports: Facebook | Twitter

Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.

×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Play now