As the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare to battle the Oklahoma City Thunder once again, they will not have their full array of options. Just like on Monday night, a couple of key rotation players will not be taking the floor.

Now, the list of Cavs injuries still pales in comparison to what the Thunder are dealing with, but it’s definitely not ideal to be in this situation.

Let’s reassess the guys who will be out, and what it will mean for those actually able to suit up for the contest.

Short-Handed At Small Forward, Part Two

As Danny Cunningham of Locked On Cavs confirmed last night, Cleveland is going to remain without two key players this evening. Jaylon Tyson (ankle) and Peyton Watson (hamstring) will not be able to suit up. While coach Kenny Atkinson mentioned he isn’t worried about the hamstring, this is something to monitor, as it keeps the newcomer off the floor again.

Defensively, the Cavs felt Peyton Watson’s absence deeply against the Thunder. His shot-blocking ability, combined with his speed and length on the wing, makes him an absolute menace. Not being able to stick him on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander left them trying to figure out just who was supposed to stop the multi-time reigning MVP.

And in the absence of Tyson again, they sort of missed that connector with the second unit. For all of the amazing things being done by Meleek Thomas and Sam Merrill, facilitating and lob-throwing are not amongst their chief abilities. Despite a shooting slump, the third-year forward had still been having an impact in various areas.

Time to look at which players will be asked to step up the most in the OKC rematch with Watson and Tyson both officially down again.

Hello, Meleek Thomas

Sam Merrill and Meleek Thomas were both on the court to close the contest with the Thunder on Monday. There’s a low chance it goes down that way once again, with the lack of size sort of derailing whatever it is they were trying to do. 

Now, Tyson is still the guy who will have to step up big again. He had 17 points in his first start and proved that he can stay aggressive no matter who he shares the floor with. As for Merrill, he did hit a big three, but shot just 2-8. He does a lot of things on the floor, but he does lose a lot of value when the shot isn’t dropping. 

We can certainly expect more Tyrese Proctor minutes, who has been around 20 the last few games. His shooting and rebounding are coming around in a big way.

It’s unclear if Thomas remains in the starting five, but he and the other wings will have to step up in this one to help lift the team to victory.