The Cleveland Cavaliers will be missing another key player for at least the next few games.
Despite being without their fifth starter, Max Strus, for all 15 of their games so far, the Cavaliers have managed an impressive 15-0 start. They’ve also been without sharpshooter Sam Merrill in recent games, and on Sunday, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade were both injured.
Tonight, the Cavs face the defending champion Celtics in Boston, but they will be without Strus and Wade, who has already been ruled out. Okoro and Caris LeVert are both questionable for the game.
One of the main reasons the Cavaliers have thrived early this season is their strong perimeter depth, which bridges the gap between their on-ball guards and non-shooting bigs. This depth has helped them cope with the loss of Strus, but if too many players are sidelined, that advantage could quickly turn into a weakness.
This is especially crucial against the Celtics, a wing-heavy team that uses a 5-out offensive system to spread the floor. The Cavaliers typically rely on lineups with four shooters around either Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley, but that becomes more challenging if they’re missing LeVert and Okoro, not to mention Wade, who is the ideal defender against Jayson Tatum.
Additionally, the Cavaliers expect Wade to be out for several games.
How long will Dean Wade be out?
Dean Wade has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Celtics due to an ankle injury he sustained during the Cavaliers’ victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. Following an initial assessment, sources close to Wade have informed King James Gospel that he is expected to miss around five or six days. While it could have been worse, this means the Cavs will be without their best combo forward defender for upcoming games against the Celtics, Pelicans, and Raptors.
Though the schedule provides some breathing room, the Cavaliers are hopeful Wade will be back in time for the rematch with the Celtics on December 1st at Rocket Mortgage Field House. Wade has been inconsistent with his 3-point shooting, hitting just 35.3% of his attempts, but he remains one of the team’s top defenders and crucial to lineups that excel defensively while still offering floor-spacing at the 4.
Wade has also been utilized at center in small-ball lineups when either Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley has been absent, with those lineups performing surprisingly well. Without Wade, head coach Kenny Atkinson will likely have to rely on more traditional lineups, which, while potentially effective against a team as strong as the Celtics, removes one of his key tactical options.
As of the latest update, the statuses of Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert remain unclear, and there has been no further update on Sam Merrill.
