Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report (Dec 29): Latest update on Darius Garland and Caris LeVert's availability

Darius Garland continues to recover from a fractured jaw; as such, he won't play in the Cleveland Cavaliers' game on December 29 when the Milwaukee Bucks visit Ohio. Outside of Garland, Clevland will also be missing Evan Mobley and Ty Jerome, who are both dealing with injuries and have been absent from the rotation in recent weeks.

The Cavaliers will have Caris LeVert available, which should provide the team a boost in scoring and tertiary ball-handling. Nevertheless, Garland's absence will hurt the overall flow of the Cavaliers backcourt.

Donovan Mitchell is an All-Star guard who can dominate games with his scoring and shooting ability. However, Garland's upside as a primary ball-handler and playmaker gives the Cavaliers another dimension when running their offense out of the backcourt. As such, Mitchell will have some additional creation duties on his plate, which could limit his effectiveness as a scorer.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will likely look to run a pick-and-roll heavy system when they face the Bucks. Jarrett Allen is among the better rim-runners in the NBA. His ability to provide vertical spacing as a roll man will be essential to how the Cavaliers look to attack the impressive defense of Brook Lopez.

Still, Cleveland will also need to find ways of containing Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That could prove to be a difficult task given their current injury situation.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have won their last two games against the Milwaukee Bucks

The Cleveland Cavaliers secured a 114-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on January 22, 2023. They also won their December 2022 matchup against Milwaukee with a scoreline of 106-114. As such, the Bucks will head into their December 29 game with a reason to try and settle the score.

Milwaukee is seen as a genuine championship contender this season. The duo of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo is among the best in the league. Additionally, Khris Middleton provides elite-level floor spacing and Brook Lopez provides stellar defense and scoring from the center position.

Without the size of Evan Mobley, the Cleveland Cavaliers could struggle to contain Milwaukee's interior offense. However, the clutch play of Donovan Mitchell could be a deciding factor in the upcoming game. Mitchell is known for heating up when the odds are stacked against him and could provide a major swing factor for the Cavaliers, both in the halfcourt and in transition.

Still, Cleveland will enter its game against Milwaukee as underdogs due to the absence of Darius Garland and Mobley, something the team will need to navigate in the coming weeks.