Cavs without 4 players in J.B. Bickerstaff's return

10/24/2024 06:43 PM

After a dominant win over the Toronto Raptors, the Cleveland Cavaliers are heading home for their home opener against the Detroit Pistons. This will be the first of four matchups between the Cavs and Pistons. Both sides meet again in Cleveland in January before Detroit hosts the divisional battle in February and March. The Cavs dominated last year’s series, going 4-0 against the Pistons. Moreover, Cleveland has won nine in a row against Detroit, with this matchup being a chance to reach double digits on their win streak.

While every matchup between the Cavs and Pistons carries weight in a tightly-contested Eastern Conference, this one carries extra significance. This will be the first time Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Cleveland’s former coach, returns to the confines of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

While Bickerstaff will treat it as just another game, the Cavs had better come prepared. However, in this matchup, Detroit will be without rookie big man Bobi Klintman (calf) and defensive stud Ausur Thompson (conditioning).

Klintman, 21, stood out for the Pistons during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. In five games, Klintman averaged 11.2 points on 42% shooting from the field, 41.9% on 3-point shooting and 7.2 rebounds. The Pistons acquired Klintman in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who drafted Klintman in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

Thompson’s situation is much more fluid. Drafted fifth overall by the Pistons in 2023, Thompson immediately exhibited his potential as a versatile athlete early on in the season. However, Detroit’s medical staff discovered a blood clot, and Thompson is waiting for clearance from the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel.

Hopefully, Thompson will be available the next time the Cavs face the Pistons, and there will be no long-term concerns regarding his health.

Who is out for the Cavs against J.B. Bickerstaff and the Pistons?

Against Detroit, Cleveland will be without Emoni Bates (knee, G League assignment), Max Strus (ankle), Luke Travers (G League assignment), and J.T. Thor (G League assignment). Not having Bates, Thor, or Travers isn’t surprising. All three need valuable on-court reps to continue their development, and Cleveland doesn’t have the minutes available to let them play in the game.

So, while Thor and Travers will practice with the team, they’ll wait to get rolling when the NBA G League season starts. Bates, meanwhile, remains sidelined, rehabbing after preseason knee surgery. Hopefully, Bates will be available when the Cleveland Charge, the NBA G League affiliate of the Cavs, starts their season.

Cleveland’s matchup with Detroit will be the second regular season game without Strus. The Cavs sharpshooter sprained his right ankle during individual workouts while recovering from a bruised hip. After confirming the sprain’s severity, Strus will be reevaluated after six weeks of treatment and rehabilitation. That timeline suggests he'll remain sidelined for at least Cleveland’s first 20 regular-season contests. Strus had missed some time this preseason but appeared to be on the verge of returning for the opener against Toronto.

So the ankle sprain is a disappointing setback for him and the Cavs, who had the 28-year-old in their starting lineup for 70 regular-season games and 12 playoff contests last season. Strus was a solid contributor in his first year in Cleveland after signing a four-year, $62 million contract in free agency. He averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists per game. Moreover, Strus connected on 35.1% of his perimeter attempts.

With Strus still sidelined, Dean Wade will likely start at small forward for the Cavs. Wade started in Strus’s place against the Raptors and played well. In roughly 20 minutes, Wade had five points, eight rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Cleveland will also lean heavily on Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Sam Merrill to compensate for Strus’s three-point shooting.

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