The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t seen Dean Wade in almost a month because the forward has missed 11 games due to a bone bruise in his right knee.
But he will be back soon.
In fact, head coach Kenny Atkinson said that Wade is set to play on Friday night against the New York Knicks, according to Danny Cunningham.
Kenny Atkinson says Dean Wade will play tomorrow night against the Knicks.
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) February 21, 2025
This is unquestionably great news for the Cavs, who are hoping to bolster their roster as the season goes on and the playoffs approach.
The team is now deeper than ever in the wing position since they recently welcomed back Isaac Okoro and added De’Andre Hunter after their big trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
Atkinson has plenty of options now but he will have to figure out what works best.
Therefore, fans can expect the lineup to tweak just a bit with Wade’s return.
For the season, Wade is averaging 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds, shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from the three-point line.
Atkinson didn’t say if Wade will enter the game on a minutes restriction but he was playing about 22 minutes per game before his injury back in January.
Because Atkinson has a lot of choices right now, he will ease Wade into the rotation.
Injuries have bothered the Cavaliers throughout the season but thankfully it hasn’t been as bad as it was last year.
With Wade back, the team is fuller than it has been in months and that is incredibly good news for the Cavaliers, who wish to remain the top seed in the East.
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