Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott confirmed reports that forward-center Anderson Varejao will likely miss the rest of the season. Varejao suffered a complete tear of the peroneus longus in the midfoot of the right ankle and foot according to the team.
Anderson Varejao Suffers Season-Ending Injury, Cleveland Cavaliers Will Evaluate Young Players
Varejao was playing at all All-Star level according to Scott and his loss will be a blow to a team that's already been struggling to adjust to life without LeBron James. The Cavs are 8-28 on the season but have only won one game since Dec. 2.
"I feel more sad for him just because of what he's put into the season," Scott told the media before Sunday's game in Phoenix against the Suns. "He's been through a lot this season. To come out and play the way he's been playing all season long, I feel real bad for him."
The Cavaliers will start J.J. Hickson at center in place of Varejao and will use this opportunity to evaluate their young talent, according to Scott.
“It’s a good chance, obviously for us, right now to see if these guys can play too. They’re going to get some extended minutes from this point on so we’ll get a good idea what they can be in the future.”
Varejao injured the foot during a conditioning drill at the end of practice on Thursday. He initially pulled up after running and said it was starting to hurt but at the time it didn’t seem like a significant injury. An MRI conducted in Phoenix today confirmed the torn tendon. Varejao will travel with the team to Los Angeles for their next game before returning to Cleveland for further consultation about treatment options.
Varejao, known as one of the best defensive big men in the league, was averaging 9.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this season.
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