The Cleveland Cavaliers are setting the NBA on fire. With a league-best 54-10 record, Donovan Mitchell and his squad have dominated all season, kicking things off with a 15-0 start and now closing in on another 15-game win streak. But can they keep the momentum going tonight?
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Standing in their way are the Brooklyn Nets, fresh off a confidence-boosting win over JJ Redick’s Lakers. The Nets have a chance to play spoiler, but their task could get a lot easier if the Cavs are missing key pieces like Mitchell or Evan Mobley. So, what’s the latest on Cleveland’s lineup? Let’s break down the official injury report and see who’s in and who’s out.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets – Will Donovan Mitchell play tonight?
Cavs fans, rejoice! You’re going to love this. Heading into their matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland’s injury report is almost spotless—only three players are ruled out, and all of them are on two-way contracts.
And the best part? Donovan Mitchell is ready to play.
That means Cleveland will be at full strength as they take on Brooklyn tonight. The absences of Emoni Bates, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and Luke Travers won’t affect Kenny Atkinson’s plans, as none of them have been key rotation players this season.
The Brooklyn Nets, on the other hand, have yet to submit their final injury report. However, a few players were missing from their last game against the Los Angeles Lakers, making their availability tonight uncertain. Cam Thomas, who has been dealing with hamstring issues, was out for the Lakers game, and it’s unclear if he’ll return in time to face the Cavs. Trendon Watford and Keon Johnson are also being monitored on a day-to-day basis, which means their status is up in the air as well. Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton is officially out for the season after undergoing ACL surgery, so he won’t be available for the Nets at all.
With both teams nearly at full strength, let’s take a look at their expected lineups.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets – predicted starting lineups and depth chart
The Cleveland Cavaliers have everyone fit and raring to go against the Brooklyn Nets. So, we don’t see Kenny Atkinson tweaking his lineup too much for this game. Here’s how we expect the Cavs to line up tonight:
| POSITION | STARTER | 2nd UNIT | 3rd UNIT |
| PG | Darius Garland | Ty Jerome | Donovan Mitchell |
| SG | Donovan Mitchell | Sam Merrill | Max Strus |
| SF | Max Strus | De’Andre Hunter | Issac Okoro |
| PF | Evan Mobley | Dean Wade | De’Andre Hunter |
| C | Jarrett Alan | Evan Mobley | Tristan Thompson |
The Cavs’ opponents, the Brooklyn Nets, will have gained some confidence after beating the Lakers in their last game. Especially after missing a crucial member of their team, Cam Thomas. So, in a similar vein to the Cavs, we don’t see their lineup changing too much for this game. Except for the inclusion of Thomas if he can play. So here’s how they may line up if he’s back :
| POSITION | STARTER | 2nd UNIT | 3rd UNIT |
| PG | D’Angelo Russell | Keon Johnson | Reece Beekman |
| SG | Keon Johnson | Ziaire Williams | Tyrese Martin |
| SF | Cam Thomas (DD) | Noah Clowney | Jalen Wilson |
| PF | Cam Johnson | Trendon Watford (DD) | Noah Clowney |
| C | Nic Claxton | Day’Ron Sharpe | Trendon Watford (DD) |
The Cavaliers have the opportunity to get their 11th sweep of the season against the Nets tonight. But do you know what’s crazier? The Cavs can get 11 more sweeps by the time this season is over. That’s simply just how dominant they’ve been. And that is also why we don’t see the Cavs losing to the Nets in this game. Simply put, the Cleveland Cavaliers are just on a different level this season!