Cavs All-Star out for matchup with Pistons

Donovan Mitchell will miss Wednesday’s game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have listed six-time NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell as out for tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons. Mitchell is dealing with a shoulder contusion after taking a collision in his previous game versus the Boston Celtics. Mitchell scored 31 points in the loss.

Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Luke Travers and JT Thor are also OUT for the Cavs.

Cleveland has a 2-0 record without Mitchell this season, picking up easy wins over the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets. Darius Garland stepped up with a season-high 40 points in his most recent game without Mitchell (versus Toronto).

The Cavs previously beat the Pistons 110-91 on January 27. Mitchell scored 21 points on just 12 shot attempts as the Cavalier defense led the way. We could see a repeat performance tonight from Cleveland’s defense — especially with Mitchell on the sidelines.

Evan Mobley is coming off arguably his worst game of the season. A bounce-back game would be great. The Detroit frontcourt has historically struggled to contain Mobley in the past so this is a matchup he should look to attack. The same goes for Jarrett Allen, who had a stellar 17 points and 18 rebounds last night.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back is always a challenge. Hitting the road to take on one of the NBA’s surprise teams is a bonus. Cade Cunnigham is having an All-Star season and will pose a threat to Cleveland all game.

Still, the Cavaliers held Cunningham to 9-26 shooting in their last meeting. Max Strus was a difference-maker with his defense. Another defensive clinic should allow the Cavs to win this game even if Mitchell isn’t able to suit up.