Jarrett Allen's knee leaves the Cavaliers waiting

Seven names on the Cleveland Cavaliers injury report looks like a crisis. Jaylon Tyson, Khalifa Diop, Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Ernest Udeh Jr. are listed Out, while Peyton Watson, Tyrese Proctor and Jarrett Allen are Questionable. Read the fine print and the picture changes: only five of the seven are listed with an injury.

Two of those knocks came on Wednesday night, in the 124-116 loss to the Thunder. Allen hurt his right knee and did not return, and Proctor sprained his left ankle in the fourth quarter and did not return either. Watson has missed his team's last two matchups with a hamstring issue, and Tyson's ankle sprain keeps him out against the 76ers.

Cleveland's next game after that is the Knicks, who list just one player. The report was last updated Thursday 5 November at 8:50 PM ET, so the picture can still move through the day.

Sort the seven names and they fall into two groups. Tyson (right ankle sprain), Udeh Jr. (low back stress reaction), Allen (right knee contusion), Watson (right hamstring injury management) and Proctor (left ankle sprain) are the genuine injuries. Diop and Tomlin are Out on paper, but their entries are G League assignments, not knocks picked up on the court.

So the headline count of seven overstates the problem. Tyson is the only one of the Out players with a return date, and he is expected back on 7 Nov. Our full list of Cavs injuries with return dates keeps that sorting up to date.

Two of the three Questionable tags trace back to one game. Jarrett Allen's stats tell you how much the Cavs miss him, but the knock itself is simple: Allen picked up a right knee injury against the Thunder and failed to return. He is listed with a right knee contusion and is expected to be monitored closely right up to tip-off.

Tyrese Proctor sprained his left ankle in the fourth quarter of the 124-116 defeat and did not come back. His next chance to play comes against the Knicks, the second leg of Cleveland's back-to-back. Peyton Watson has a different story: he has missed his team's last two matchups with a hamstring issue and is in danger of missing a third.

Jaylon Tyson is the only one with a firm answer. His right ankle sprain rules him out against the 76ers, and he is expected back on 7 Nov. Until he is cleared, Mario Hezonja and Meleek Thomas should keep playing meaningful roles off the bench.

Allen is the one whose absence would sting most. He has played 8 games and gives Cleveland 25.3 minutes, 13.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a game while shooting 62.1% from the field. That is the second-best rebounding number on the team behind Evan Mobley's 8.3, and his 1.5 blocks sit ahead of Mobley's 1.3.

Watson is the other rotation player with real defensive impact: 1.8 blocks a game in 6 games, with 28.6 minutes and 10.8 points. Tyson has played 5 games, while Proctor's 14.3 minutes a game make him the smallest loss on the court. Check the Cavaliers depth chart to see who steps in.

The good news for Cleveland is that the three leading scorers are all off the report. Donovan Mitchell leads the team at 22.5 points and 5.5 assists a game, Evan Mobley adds 18.8 points and 8.3 rebounds, and James Harden gives 16.6 points and 6.3 assists. All three play more than 32 minutes a game.

Depth behind them is thinner on the scoring side. Meleek Thomas averages 13.0 points in 5 games, while Sam Merrill and Mario Hezonja each give 8.6. The Cavaliers are 4-4 over their last 8 games.

Set against Cleveland, the Knicks look nearly clean. They list one player, Josh Hart, as Day-to-Day, with an expected return of 7 Nov. The Cavaliers list seven, and the Knicks are their next opponent tomorrow.

You can see both injury lists side by side on one page, and the Cavaliers v Knicks preview has the game itself. The raw count flatters New York, but remember that two of Cleveland's seven are G League entries, not knocks.

Allen is the key call. If the knee contusion keeps him out, Cleveland lose their second-best rebounder and a player averaging 1.5 blocks in one go. Watson's hamstring is the next question after two missed games, and Proctor's next chance comes against the Knicks.

Tyson and Udeh Jr. are the two Out players with a genuine injury, and the report was last updated Thursday 5 November at 8:50 PM ET. Statuses move as tip-off nears, so check the latest status updates before you settle on a lineup.

Odds and projections are for information only. Please gamble responsibly. 18+ (21+ where required). These are game statistics, not settled bets.