After landing awkwardly in the third quarter of Tuesday night’s defeat of the Timberwolves, the Cavs’ Anderson Varejao has a torn achilles tendon and should miss the remainder of the season.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that Tristan Thompson will likely take over the starting role, and that the Cavs will now double down on their efforts to secure a big man via trade. They’ve had their sights set on either the Grizzlies’ Kosta Koufos or the Nuggets’ Timofey Mozgov, both huge European rim protectors.
Varejao’s injury is a tragedy, but not all together unexpected. Last night’s game was Varejao’s 27th. Through the 2010-2011, 2011-2012, and 2012-2013 seasons, Varejao played 31, 25 and 25 games respectively, before succumbing to season-ending injuries.
Varejao’s .555 field goal percentage led the team this year.
This article appears in Dec 24-30, 2014.
