CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers rookie forward Evan Mobley could be sidelined for a month with a sprained right elbow suffered Monday night in a loss to Boston.
The No. 3 pick in this year's draft got hurt when his arm got tied up while battling Celtics center Enes Kanter under the basket. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff called the injury "a freak thing" because it happened on a common play.
"Guys get tangled up going for rebounds, competing for loose balls and things,'' Bickerstaff said on a Zoom call. "It wasn't a dirty play, nothing like that -- two guys playing basketball and this happens.''
The Cavs said an MRI taken Tuesday confirmed the original diagnosis of a sprain. Mobley will begin treatment and rehab, and the team estimates his return to the court in "approximately 2-4 weeks."
"We play this game for a certain reason, for the love and compassion you have for it and it's always frustrating and disappointing when it's taken away from you when it's an injury and it's out of your control,'' Bickerstaff said. "We want to make sure he's OK and we want to make sure he's in good spirits.''
Mobley's loss is a major blow to the Cavs as he has helped them get off to a surprisingly strong start at 9-6. The 20-year-old is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
The Cavs have been dealing with an assortment of injuries lately.
Leading scorer Collin Sexton remains sidelined with a meniscus tear in his left knee. The Cavs have not updated his status in a week.
Also, center Jarrett Allen missed Monday's game with an illness and will not make the trip to play at Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen recently cleared the NBA's health protocols and are working on their conditioning before playing. Bickerstaff said it's possible Love could return against the Nets.
After Mobley got hurt, the Cavs finished with just nine players against the Celtics.
"Everybody has got to do their part,'' Bickerstaff said. "We're obviously down him (Mobley), but we're down other bodies. It's the NBA, with 82 games, at some point in time everybody is going to get an opportunity. And everybody has got to take a step up and do a little bit more.
"We can't expect one person to replace Evan or Kevin or Lauri or any of the guys who have been out. We've got to be a group where everybody does a little bit more and try to fill that gap.''
Bickerstaff said Ed Davis and 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall could get additional playing time. After facing the Nets, the Cavs host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday before getting a welcomed three-day break.
Bickerstaff said Ed Davis and 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall could get additional playing time. After facing the Nets, the Cavs host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday before getting a welcomed three-day break.