Cavs could be thin on the wing against RJ Barrett, Raptors

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After their first extended break, the Cleveland Cavaliers are back in action against the Toronto Raptors. Last time out, the Cavs won against the New Orleans Pelicans 128-108. The Raptors, meanwhile, are on a two-game winning streak after Toronto defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-105.

This will be the second of four times Cleveland and Toronto face off this year. In their first matchup, the Cavs won in Toronto against the Raptors 136-106. So, heading into this matchup, Cleveland will look to remain undefeated against Toronto, while the Raptors will be looking for revenge.

Toronto is 4-12 and has the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Things are dire for the Raptors, who are only one game ahead of the last-place Washington Wizards. This could be a trap game for Cleveland based on who is available for Toronto.

Unfortunately, both teams are dealing with numerous injuries heading into this matchup, making this a grind for either side.

Who is unavailable for the Raptors against Cleveland?

Against the Cavs, Toronto will be without Bruce Brown (return to conditioning), D.J. Carton (NBA G League assignment), Ulrich Chomche (NBA G League assignment), Kelly Olynyk (back), Immanuel Quickley (UCL tear) and Ja’Kobe Walter (NBA G League assignment).

Bruno Fernando, meanwhile, is dealing with a right ankle sprain and is listed as questionable. Fernando’s availability will depend on how his ankle is feeling, so he will likely be a game-time decision.

If Fernando is unavailable for the Raptors against Cleveland, it’ll be his third game in a row he’s missed. The 26-year-old big man is averaging 3.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 9.1 minutes across his 11 appearances this season.

Brown, meanwhile, is close to returning to action for Toronto. The veteran guard has yet to suit up this season due to a knee injury but appears close to returning to the floor.

Olynyk has been dealing with a nagging back injury that has sidelined him for several games. It’s unsure when the veteran big man will return to the floor for Toronto.

Finally, Quickley, the star guard, is expected to miss nearly a month after suffering a partial UCL tear in his left elbow.

Who is unavailable for the Cavs against Toronto?

Like the Raptors, the Cavs will be without several key contributors. Caris LeVert (knee), Max Strus (ankle), and Dean Wade (ankle) remain sidelined. Meanwhile, Emoni Bates (NBA G League assignment, knee surgery) is still unavailable after offseason knee surgery.

Cleveland’s matchup with Toronto will be the 19th straight regular-season game without Strus. The Cavs sharpshooter sprained his right ankle during individual workouts. After confirming the sprain’s severity, it was announced that Strus would be reevaluated after six weeks of treatment and rehabilitation.

Wade, meanwhile, suffered an ankle sprain in Cleveland’s win over the Charlotte Hornets. The floor-spacing big man was seen exiting the arena in a walking boot postgame. Not having Wade available is a massive blow to a Cavs team dealing with injuries all season. Wade is arguably one of Cleveland’s best defenders and would help slow down Boston’s perimeter-heavy attack.

Okoro, who also suffered an ankle sprain against the Hornets, is questionable, and the decision on whether or not he’ll play will be made at game time.

Sam Merill (ankle) and Darius Garland (groin) are returning to the Cavs’ lineup after both were sidelined against the Pelicans. Both will give Cleveland a much-needed scoring punch – especially from the perimeter. However, with how banged up the Cavs are, it’ll force head coach Kenny Atkinson to get creative with his lineups.

"I think we did the best we could with distributing minutes," Atkinson said to ClutchPoints after the Cavs defeated the Hornets. "You can't fight the schedule. You just can't. You're going to end up being short-handed too much.

"So I'm a little disappointed we had a couple of guys go down tonight. But this is a tough league. This is a tough league physically. I don't know if the fans can even grasp how hard it is."

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