Jarrett Allen’s sprained finger is making headlines on the list of injury updates

On Sunday afternoon, Cleveland Cavaliers issued a massive injury update ahead of the game against the Boston Celtics. The team discovered that great man Jarrett Allen will be out for a week with a strained right finger, Larry Nance Jr. has been sidelined for three to four weeks with a Grade 1 soleus strain in his right foot, and Sam Merrill is listed as day-to-day with a sprained right hand.

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson provided an extended update on Allen’s finger in his pregame press conference.

“I think he played with a lot of discomfort,” Atkinson said. “I give him a lot of credit for trying to deal with it, but it was obvious to him and it was obvious to me, quite honestly, watching it. He was really protecting it. And it’s kind of both hands, and it’s just hard. He can’t catch too well, and we just wanted to give him a little bit of time to heal it a little bit more. We just said, ‘Okay, let it be a little bit,’ a little bit, and then get back to it.”

Atkinson said Cleveland tried to give him a few days to practice and manage the situation as best he could, and Allen wanted to pass. However, it affected his game to such an extent that it did not help either side.

“May these, both of them, be healed,” Atkinson said. “It’s not just one. He’s got a fracture in one, and then the other one is damaged. And if you’re a center, it’s almost like being a tight end. You’ve got to catch the ball, and if you have problems, problems catching the ball, whether it’s catching in the pocket or going for a one-handed jump shot. … I’ve only seen a few clips of him.

Nance was injured Friday night in Atlanta, the latest of many setbacks for the Wine and Gold. Merrill also misses his sixth straight game. Atkinson admits that this season has been more challenging than last season, where the Cavs had a lot more luck with injuries.

“I felt like last year we had the same lineup, the same rotations,” Atkinson said. “You get into this rhythm, and that’s how you get momentum. This was a little jagged and clunky because of that, and we just have to accept that. And (Sunday) we’re going to play with three young guys. Let’s go with it. I trust those guys. They’re getting better. They’re playing like a rotation player.

“But I would say this: The rest of the league is dealing with it, too. We’re not the only ones in this bucket. Maybe we’ve had a little more bad luck, but we’re not the only ones. So (it’s) just part of running an NBA season. Last year was not a reality in terms of … teams just don’t stay as healthy.”

Cleveland has fielded 11 different starting lineups so far, which illustrates Atkinson’s point. As November draws to a close, The Cavs are 12-8 and in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference.