Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Tuesday said rookie Evan Mobley is progressing well from a sprained left ankle and will return to practice this week.
Mobley suffered the injury midway through the second quarter on March 28 in a win over the Orlando Magic. His left ankle appeared to land on the foot of Franz Wagner after attempting to contest a shot. He looked to be in immediate pain and hobbled off the court.
The third pick has missed the last five games for the Cavaliers but traveled with the team on its two-game road trip. He was able to get some work in on the court and is set to practice with the team, Bickerstaff said prior to playing the Orlando Magic.
He is progressing well. He did a lot of work today on the court. We’re going to have practice on Thursday and we’ll see how goes through that and then how he responds on Friday.
The Cavaliers are hopeful to get Mobley back at some point over their final two games on Friday or Sunday, or in the play-in tournament. They would currently host the Atlanta Hawks in the 7-8 matchup of the play-in tournament starting on April 12.
Mobley is averaging 14.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 blocks in 67 games. He leads all first-year players in rebounding and blocks while he is fifth in scoring. He needs one more point to become the eighth rookie in team history to reach at least 1,000 points.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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