Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Tuesday provided a positive update on the recovery of rookie Evan Mobley from a right elbow sprain.
Mobley suffered the injury on Nov. 15 in a loss to the Boston Celtics. He appeared to make a play on the ball but was inadvertently hit in the elbow by Enes Kanter. He came up clutching his elbow and stayed in the game for a few minutes but would eventually leave.
The team announced the following day that Mobley would undergo a period of treatment and rehabilitation and miss approximately 2-4 weeks. He has since been seen doing some light shooting in practice and was able to do “a lot” on Tuesday, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Me to #Cavs J.B. Bickerstaff: “What, if anything, was Evan Mobley able to do today at practice?”
Bickerstaff: “Uh a lot.”
Me: “So would you say he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery?”
Bickerstaff: “You will have to talk to our medical staff about that.”
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) November 23, 2021
The answer given by Bickerstaff leaves much to the imagination but it would appear that Mobley is continuing to make good progress. Coaches and teams are often vague with the finer details of a particular rehab or recovery but the news is positive, nonetheless.
Mobley has emerged as perhaps the top rookie to this point of the season. He is averaging 14.6 points, eight rebounds, 1.6 blocked shots and one assist in 15 games. He is tied for the lead in scoring average among first-year players while he is second in rebounding.
The Cavaliers will be cautious and not rush Mobley back into action too quickly. The update given by Bickerstaff on Tuesday is certainly encouraging as it could mean Mobley will be able to return on the shorter end of that 2-4 week timetable.
Cleveland has lost three straight games since Mobley suffered his injury.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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