The best team in the Eastern Conference is about to take on the worst. Yes, it’s time for the Cleveland Cavaliers, 1st in the East to take on the Washington Wizards, who are the 20th seed. After acquiring the services of De’Andre Hunter at the last minute, Donovan Mitchell and his cohorts now look ready to make a title push.

But they have more immediate concerns, namely the absentees in their squad ahead of the Wizards game. Even though the Cavs have been very good on the court this season with a 41-10 record, they still have some injury problems plaguing their team. Looking at the injury report they submitted will give us a clearer picture.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards IR – Will Donovan Mitchell play tonight?

Donovan Mitchell missed the Cavs’ last game against the Detroit Pistons through a shoulder injury. And he finds himself listed on their injury report once again ahead of the Wizards game. He is PROBABLE to play against the Wizards on Friday as he recovers from his injury. But two players will miss the game entirely.

We are talking about Dean Wade and Issac Okoro, who are OUT with a bruised knee and sprained shoulder, respectively. Additionally, Sam Merrill is also OUT on Friday because of undisclosed personal reasons. JT Thor and Luke Travers are also OUT with G-League duties owing to their two-way contracts. Whereas, Carris LeBert and Georges Niang are OUT as they await their trades’ completion.

The Washington Wizards also only have 3 players out due to injury. Saddiq Bey, Malcolm Brogdon, and Alex Sarr are the only ones OUT for the game against the Cavs. Bey is recovering from an ACL surgery while Malcolm is being rested to manage his injured right foot. Sarr will now miss his sixth consecutive game for the Wizards as he nurses a sprained ankle.

The other absentees for the Wizards are part of the large exodus from their team. No, seriously, Washington has more players OUT with a pending trade than they do through injuries. These players are Marvin Bagley III, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Johnny Davis, Reggie Jackson, and Kyle Kuzma. Also, somewhat vexingly, Sidy Cissoko is OUT with the only cited reason being, “Not With Team.” 

With a clear picture of who will and won’t be playing tomorrow, let’s have a look at how these teams may shape up against each other.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards – predicted lineups and depth chart

The Cavaliers will miss a few rotation options against the Wizards on Friday. But we don’t see them losing any sleep over it. With De’Andre Hunter joining their ranks and Donovan Mitchell likely back in their team, here’s how the Cavs might look on Friday:

The Washington Wizards are facing a similar situation. They have virtually all their starters but miss rotation options in key positions like point guard. That said, here’s how they might lineup against the Cavaliers:

All in all, the Wizards and Cavaliers face quite similar situations injury-wise. However, it’s only when we talk about their performance on the court that their paths diverge. With them having lost 41 games, the same number of wins the Cavs have, we don’t see the Wizards beating them on Friday. But you never know because anything can happen in the NBA. Especially with these shakeups to the teams’ rosters following the trade deadline.