Kenny Atkinson finds the silver lining in the absence of Evan Mobley through injury

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson he did not go into details about Evan MobleyUntimely calf injury before visiting the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Arena. Instead, he wanted to point out the challenge this will present for the Cavs to “prepare early” for the adversity they might encounter in the playoffs.

“We’re going to get some reps for this. I just think it’s good,” Atkinson said. “When I go back to the second game last year against Indiana, we had three of our best players. We could be in the first round this year and Don (Mitchell) could have a cold or something, the flu, and he’s not playing the first game, so what does that look like? We get really good reps when you have guys out.”

Early Saturday night, the Cavs announced that Mobley could miss up to a month of action with a left calf injury he suffered against the Washington Wizards the night before. After experiencing tightness after the game, Mobley underwent an MRI when the team he returned to Cleveland the next daywho discovered the Grade 1 strain.

Despite the setback in DC, Mobley had 23 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in a team-high 36 minutes. It was the same night where Donovan Mitchell was nuclear in the fight for superheroes with 48 points.

It’s unfortunate timing for the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Mobley was right after a rough start to the season, as he averaged 19.8 points, 9.8 boards, 4.1 assists and 1.8 blocks over the final month of action, shooting 52.0% from the field and 36.0% from long range on nearly four attempts per game.

“The sky doesn’t fall, crises don’t happen, disasters don’t happen, just so you know,” Atkinson said of the state of the Cavs. “We’re going to be fine and I love the reps from our guys, our bench guys.

The Cavs’ timeline for Mobley’s return is estimated to be between two and four weeks.

On the other hand, Cleveland brings back big man Jarrett Allen from his extended absence; he was dealing with two separate injuries to a finger on each hand. Sunday will be his first game since Nov. 28 in Atlanta.

“I mean, he’s going to have to get into a rhythm,” Atkinson said. “Let’s not expect perfect. He’s been conditioning his tailback. I think that’s why he’s playing (Sunday). He’s tired of conditioning, which he should be. You’re so miserable trying to get back in shape, but it’s not going to be perfect. It’s obviously good timing with Evan out. We’re going to need Br and then we’re going to need him to get back in shape. Find some small-ball lineups just to buy us some minutes.”

Despite Mobley’s absence, the Cavs have a great opportunity to match up against teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They will face the Hornets on Sunday and Dec. 22, with a home-and-home against the Chicago Bulls in between.