The big story before the Cleveland Cavaliers got four consecutive nights off in March was taking down the top seed in the Eastern Conference in a head-to-head while notably undermanned. It is that last part which the Cavaliers will hope changes in large part thanks to the mini-break they are getting.
The Cavaliers' win over the Detroit Pistons was impressive, particularly because it immediately spurned thoughts of what the ceiling for this team if — or hopefully for the Cavs, when — this group is fully healthy. There was no Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, or Max Strus available. Jarrett Allen was forced to leave the game early due to his knee. Cleveland managed all the same without them.
Where the Cavaliers will hope this story changes soon is the need to navigate these big matchups without key players. The injury updates from practice on Friday suggested they are certainly trending toward that reality.
Spencer Davies reported: "Donovan Mitchell and Dean Wade were full participants on Friday at Cavs practice. Max Strus went for '90 percent' of it. Jarrett Allen didn't participate and only did some conditioning, though Kenny Atkinson shared that his knee injury is 'not a long-term thing."
Cavaliers can finally get healthy right before it matters most
The added depth the Cavaliers have found themselves with after the trade deadline has certainly helped them navigate while players have missed time. James Harden and Keon Ellis both deserve kudos for playing through injuries of their own too.
The Cavs just want to finally know what a healthy playoff run could look like.
Their 64-win campaign was spoiled by injuries. The early parts of this season also had that same issue play a factor in their struggles. The extra days off here at such a pivotal point of the year should help those bodies mend, and have Cleveland refreshed when they are back on the court for Sunday.
This is officially the home stretch for the Cavaliers. There are only 19 games left in the regular season. The NBA Playoffs are well within sight.
What should help Cleveland along the way is these last handful of games will be relatively easy too. The Cavaliers have one of the weakest remaining strength of schedules. Their opponents from here have a collective winning percentage of .448.
If the four nights here were not enough for some members of the Cavs, they should be afforded more opportunities to rest as the regular season draws closer to its conclusion.