Coach Atkinson Sees No Long-Term Concern for Donovan Mitchell’s Groin Injury
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The Cleveland Cavaliers arrived in Detroit on Friday with a depleted roster, but head coach Kenny Atkinson offered encouraging news regarding Donovan Mitchell’s status. Speaking to reporters, Atkinson said he does not expect Mitchell’s groin injury to linger, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Mitchell, the team’s leading scorer, missed his third consecutive game against the Pistons. Cleveland’s injury report also listed James Harden (fractured thumb on his non-shooting hand), Dean Wade, Keon Ellis and Max Strus as out, removing a significant portion of the regular rotation.
The absence of Harden, who helped ignite a 13-wins-in-15-games surge earlier this month, leaves Cleveland without a primary playmaking stabilizer. Strus has already been sidelined, while Wade and Ellis have filled consistent reserve roles.
Cleveland entered Friday having dropped two of its last three contests and now faces a challenging road stretch without several key contributors. Still, Atkinson’s assessment that Mitchell’s groin issue is likely short term gives the Cavaliers reason to expect reinforcements sooner rather than later.
Source: Hoops Wire
