Cavaliers Head Coach Reacts To Injuries To Key Defensive Duo

Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson offers his initial reaction to the injuries to Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade.

Nov 8, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) shoots in the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers officially extended their historic winning streak to 15 games with Sunday's win over the Charlotte Hornets.

But at what cost?

The Wine and Gold suffered several injuries to key rotation players during the game.

Isaac Okoro never came out of the locker room after the second half with what the team called a left ankle sprain. Dean Wade then went down in the third quarter after rolling his ankle on Jarrett Allen's foot.

During his postgame press conference, Kenny Atkinson admitted that he didn't have much information on their diagnosis or status. However, he did say it was concerning that neither of them returned to the game when the Cavs could have used their presence.

"Yeah, I don't know yet. I haven't gotten a report yet. So, a little concerning they didn't come back in the game. Hopefully, they'll be available for the Boston game," said Cleveland's head coach.

Nov 1, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) reacts after making a three-point basket in the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

Both Okoro and Wade are key pieces to Cleveland's defensive identity. Losing just one of them jeopardizes how they approach defending their opponents' key players. We even saw this at the end of Cleveland's win over the Hornets when the Cavs played a two-three zone in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers escaped Sunday with their perfect record intact. However, if neither of them is available, trying to get a win against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night will become much more difficult.

If Okoro and Wade are sidelined long-term, the Cavs will need to figure out how to make up for this integrated defensive duo.