While injuries have hit the Cavaliers hard to start the season — Darius Garland, Sam Merrill and Jarrett Allen have missed significant time, while Max Strus has yet to play — Evan Mobley has been a rock this season.
Until now, Mobley strained his calf against the Wizards on Friday night and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, the team announced.
Mobley is averaging 19.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a game this season, shooting 35.2% from 3-point range. While those counting stats are close to what Mobley did a season ago, he has been less efficient getting there, with a 57.6 true shooting percentage (close to the league average), well off the 63.3 he had last season (and a concern because the Cavaliers needed him to take a step forward. More concerning is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year not being there to protect the rim for a few weeks — the Cavaliers' defense is 2.9 points per 100 possessions worse when Mobley is off the court. The good news is the Cavaliers should get center Jarrett Allen back.
Mobley has missed just one game so far this season, but if he is out for a month, he will be in danger of not playing 65 games, making him ineligible to defend his title or, once again, make the All-NBA team.
Jaxon Kohler posted his fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds while Carson Cooper added 10 points for the Spartans (9-1, 2-0 Big Ten), who committed a season-high 17 turnovers and trailed for long stretches in both halves. They were able to bear down, however, and avoid a second-straight loss after falling to No. Duke on Monday.
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, sitting between teammates LeBron James, left, and Jake LaRavia, rarely has played in the last 10 games, but with Austin Reaves injured, the defensive specialist might be an option to join the rotation. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Perhaps Vanderbilt can return to the rotation to help the Lakers’ defensive woes while guard Austin Reaves is out for approximately a week because of a mild left calf strain.
And perhaps Vanderbilt and the Lakers can get some immediate results for shoring up their defensive shortcomings when they face the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon.
The 6-foot-8 Vanderbilt is hopeful that his opportunity will come against the Suns and he turns that into a positive for the Lakers.
"Oh, yeah, I'm pretty eager,” he said after practice Saturday. “I mean, obviously, I think a lot of the stuff we lack, I think I can help provide on that end."
In the last 10 games, Vanderbilt had only a three-minute stint against the Philadelphia 76ers because Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.
The return of LeBron James and Vanderbilt’s offensive deficiencies left him out of the rotation. During much of that time the Lakers were winning, which meant Vanderbilt spent time on the bench.
In 15 games, Vanderbilt is three for 10 (26.6%) from three-point range. He was asked how he has been handling things.
"Good,” Vanderbilt said. “Controlling what I can control. Keep showing up to work, doing my part, supporting the team."
Vanderbilt was asked if coach JJ Redick or any assistants have spoken to him about his role.
"Kind of here and there, I guess,” Vanderbilt said.
Vanderbilt was seen after practice Saturday working with an assistant coach on his shooting, just like he did after practice Friday and like he has done while not playing.
Redick said Reaves, who played against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, wasn’t sure when the calf became an issue, and “we’re obviously gonna be cautious with it.”
“It's a mild strain, Grade 1, and he'll be out for a week,” Redick said, adding, “I would venture to say every player is a little bit different, but players now are becoming more cautious — to use that word again — more cautious when they get those diagnosis with the calf. Everything looks clean. It's not in the deep part.”
The Lakers have looked at the last 10 games during the film sessions as a barometer for their defensive problems. But in reality, the Lakers have not been very good on defense all season while producing a 17-7 record because of their stellar offense.
"It's been a trending thing even when we was winning, so I think like you said, the defense still wasn't there, but we was just outscoring everybody,” Vanderbilt said. “So, I think obviously during the loss, it's an appropriate time to address certain things just so it won't keep lingering and get worse."
The Lakers are 18th in the NBA in points given up (116.8), 22nd in opponents' field-goal percentage (48.1%) and 27th in opponents' three-point shooting (38.2%).
They will face a Suns team that defeated them Dec. 1 at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers were unable to stop Collin Gillesipie, who had 28 points and was eight for 14 from three-point range, and Dillon Brooks, who had 33 points.
It hasn't gotten better in the ensuing days. The Spurs loss was the Lakers' third in the last five games.
"Nobody likes to go watch film after you get your ass kicked,” guard Marcus Smart said. “It's tough because the film never lies. And it exposed us a lot, which we already knew. We were just winning a lot of games. So it was mitigated that way, but it was straight to it: We have to be able to guard.
“The scouting report against us is we're not guarding people. And if we want to be great in this league and do what we're trying to do, you have to be able to guard, especially in the West. These guys are no joke, and they're coming. And especially [if] you got the Lakers across your jersey. They're definitely coming with everything they have. So you can't be expecting any surprises. And that's what it was. It wasn't no sugarcoating anything. It was, 'This is what we got to do.' We've been asked. Let's fix it.”
Ryan Conwell had 17 points and reserve Adrian Wooley scored 15 as he and Kasean Pryor alternated making six of Louisville's seven consecutive 3-pointers during a first-half surge that rocketed the No. 11 Cardinals past Memphis 99-73 on Saturday. The Cardinals (9-1) converted 18 of 35 attempts from long range, second to their 20 made 3s against NJIT on Nov. 26.
Xaivian Lee scored 24 points to lead No. Florida to an 80-70 victory over George Washington in the second game of the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic on Saturday. Lee scored a season high on 6-of-11 shooting, including making 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
Kingston Flemings, Chris Cenac Jr., Chase McCarty and Mercy Miller each scored 15 points, and No. Houston won its fourth straight, 99-57 over New Orleans on Saturday. Flemings and Cenac, both freshmen, combined to shoot 11 of 19 from the field for Houston (10-1), which won its tenth straight at home and has won 22 straight nonconference home games.
Caleb Wilson had 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 14 North Carolina to an 80-62 win against USC Upstate on Saturday. The Tar Heels (9-1) also got a boost from Jonathan Powell's 17 points, which tied a career high. Luka Bogavac added 15 points and five assists, and Henri Veesaar scored 14.
Trevon Brazile scored 18 of his 24 points after halftime and finished with 10 rebounds as No. 17 Arkansas overcame No. 16 Texas Tech 93-86 on Saturday.
Daniel Hankins-Sanford scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, K'Jei Parker added a career-high 24 points, and UMass rolled past Florida State, 103-95 on Saturday in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic. Hankins-Sanford scored 18 of his points in the second half as the Minutemen (8-3) rallied from a 47-43 halftime deficit to lead by as many as 18 points. Leonardo Bettiol added 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds for UMass, and Marcus Banks also had 18 points.
Oziyah Sellers scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, Zuby Ejiofor tied a career-high by blocking eight shots for the second straight game and No. 22 St. John’s survived a difficult start and pulled away for a 91-64 victory over Iona on Saturday. Sellers made four 3s in the second half and shot 7 of 13. Ian Jackson added 14 points in his return to the starting lineup.
