Lack of minutes for Cavs of late is telling for Dylan Windler

The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting healthier and/or getting more of their weapons back, which has paid off for the team. Kevin Love returned a couple of weeks ago from an extended absence from COVID-19 health and safety protocols/the virus, and last week, the Cavaliers got Lauri Markkanen back from the same predicament.

Both of those players have made a difference, with Love in a reserve role, and it was significant that both Jarrett Allen returned from illness last week, and on Saturday, Evan Mobley came back from missing four contests because of a right elbow sprain.

The Cavs did recently have a five-game skid, but they were without some crucial players in that span, and although Cleveland will be Collin Sexton for the rest of the year, which I’ll never discount, they are getting healthier. As a result, Cleveland has won three straight games, and two of those were blowout wins on the road at the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat on Monday and Wednesday.

Miami was without Jimmy Butler and was in their first contest this season without Bam Adebayo; even still, it was a long time coming. The Cavs hadn’t win in Miami since 2010, even before LeBron James’ first departure.

Now, the Cavaliers have been without Dean Wade and Cedi Osman due to a calf strain and lower back issues in a few games of late, which I do worry about a bit. Both of those guys have been important rotational pieces for Cleveland this season, so we’ll keep an eye out regarding the status of both day-to-day.

Nonetheless, even though we have seen him in the rotation in meaningful stretches some this season, it has been a little odd of late that Dylan Windler has not been involved nearly at all in legitimate time in this last handful of games. That’s aside from a bit earlier on in the contest at Dallas.

The lack of minutes lately for Windler, with the Cavs having more guys available, is telling.

At this juncture, Windler’s injury history with the Cavaliers has been well-documented. He missed all of his formal rookie year in 2019-20 due to complications involving a stress reaction in his lower left leg, and last season, he appeared in only 31 games.

There were some nice signs from him in his de facto rookie year, but largely because of injury woes, Windler couldn’t establish a consistent rhythm. He’s shown glimpses this season, just not of late.