A start to the 2017-'18 NBA season that seemingly couldn't get worse for the Cleveland Cavaliers now has. Power forward Tristan Thompson, who suffered a calf injury in Wednesday night's loss to the Indiana Pacers, will miss at least a month after MRI results on his calf didn't return the results the team hoped for. The Vertical's Shams Charania first reported the news.
Thompson, who averaged only 22.6 minutes per game in October, got off to a slow start this season. In eight games, he averaged 4.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and two personal fouls per game. On the season, Thompson shot effectively when given the opportunity with a 60 percent field goal percentage on 3.1 shots per game. From a fantasy perspective, Thompson's injury is just further reason to drop him in all leagues. His days of averaging nearly a double double are over, the only loss here is for the Cavaliers.
As a result of Thompson's absence, Kevin Love should see extended minutes at center. His numbers this season are better at the four, where he averaged 19.2 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game and 1.4 assists per game in five starts. At center, Love averaged 17 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game.
Jae Crowder and Jeff Green should see increased minutes in Thompson's absence. Crowder played 34 minutes in Wednesday's loss and while that might be a high bar, he could crack 30 minutes per game over the coming month compared to the 24 minutes per game he averaged this season. Green's minutes have fluctuated from 14 to 15 minutes per game some nights to 25 minutes per night in others. He'll more frequently see 20-plus minutes per night going forward and could be worth an add in deep leagues.