The Cleveland Cavaliers got a Christmas gift on Thursday with Evan Mobley ready to return from injury for a showdown with the Knicks to kick off the NBA’s Christmas Day programming at Madison Square Garden.
Mobley has missed a chunk of December (five games) due to a calf strain, and was a game-time decision for this contest in New York. Ultimately, the Cavs decided he was good enough to go, but he did come off the bench for the first time in his professional career.
While Mobley is back for Christmas, his role is much different from how he normally contributes to the Cavs. While he’s coming off the bench for the first time ever, he will also be on a minutes restriction.
The restriction is not a huge surprise, considering the initial projection for his return was much longer than the amount of time he ended up missing.
The exact amount of playhing time he will be limited to was not reported. So far this season, he has averaged 34 minutes per game, so something in the 20-25 minute range feels like the possible range he would sit in.
Mobley is coming off of a season in which he won Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-Star team. This season, he’s averaging 19.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
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