In one fell swoop, the Cleveland Cavaliers were given a double dose of bad news, as their starting rotation will be a shell of itself for the foreseeable future.
Darius Garland sustained a fractured jaw and is expected to miss the next several weeks, the team confirmed Friday. That would have been a body blow in and of itself for a Cavs team still trying to find the next gear.
Evan Mobley , meanwhile, will need to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to remove a loose body and is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. The team has also confirmed Mobley's diagnosis.
And all of a sudden, the Cavs are without two crucial pieces to the starting rotation.
Garland sustained the injury via a collision with Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday night in Boston . The Cavs lost 116-107 . Garland will undergo a procedure to help the healing process and be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks.
It's a significant loss for the Cavs, who view Garland as the 'quarterback' of their offense . Mobley, meanwhile, is someone the Cavs view as a player capable of making the most impact on both sides of the floor on any given night, and his progress in his third NBA season is seen as a vital key to their long-term goals.
This season, Garland has averaged 20.7 points, 5.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. Mobley has averaged a double-double this season (16 points, 10.5 rebounds per game).
Craig Porter Jr. , Caris LeVert , Dean Wade and Tristan Thompson are among those who could see a bump in playing time with Garland and Mobley out of the rotation.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavs' Darius Garland, Evan Mobley both to miss time injuries
