Cavaliers depth chart: How do Evan Mobley & Darius Garland's injuries affect Cleveland?

The Cleveland Cavaliers depth chart will need some tweaking for the coming weeks after two starters landed on the injury report. During the Cavaliers' Thursday night showdown against the Boston Celtics, Darius Garland ran into Kristaps Porzingis, suffering a fractured jaw in the collision. The news was staggering for the team, but it wasn't the only bad news they got.

Heading into the Celtics game, it was reported that Cleveland center Evan Mobley would miss his fourth straight game. Unfortunately for the team, a new update on Mobley's status has emerged.

Per an announcement by the Cavaliers' organization, Mobley will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery to remove a loose body. After experiencing discomfort due to the problem, the USC alum will be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

Given the latest update to the Cavaliers roster, coach JB Bicketstaff will have to make some adjustments to the team's depth chart. With that in mind, let's look at the current depth and which players could fill in for Mobley and Garland.

Note: * indicates a player who is currently injured

	Starter	Backup	3rd	4th
PG	Darius Garland*	Donovan Mitchell	Craig Porter	Ty Jerome*
SG	Donovan Mitchell	Caris LeVert
SF	Max Strus	Issac Okoro
PF	Evan Mobley*	Georges Niang
C	Jarrett Allen	Dean Wade	Tristan Thompson

Given the current depth chart, it appears most likely that Donovan Mitchell will start for Darius Garland, with Caris LeVert slotting in at the shooting guard spot. At the center position, with Evan Mobley out, it appears Georges Niang is likely to get the nod.

However, the team could look to move Max Strus to the four and have Issac Okoro start as the small forward. While the Cavs have plenty of options, it's unclear which direction they will go.

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Is the Cleveland Cavaliers' depth chart deep enough to keep them afloat?

As previously mentioned, Cleveland's depth chart gives the team and coach JB Bickerstaff room to maneuver where they won't have to sign free agents. Despite that, the absences of both Garland and Mobley can't be understated.

Darius Garland is averaging 34.0 minutes, 20.7 points, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Although his scoring and assist numbers have dropped this season, along with his 3-point percentage, the gap he leaves can't be understated.

Evan Mobley, on the other hand, is having a career year, averaging 33.6 points per game while also posting a career-high in scoring and rebounds. Now in his third year in the league, Mobley's contributions have been immense for the Cavs.

With the team currently sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, Cleveland will look to remain afloat in the absence of Mobley and Garland. The Cavs have a 2.5-game lead over the tenth-place Toronto Raptors, so they have some breathing room, but not a lot.

If they hope to pull themselves into playoff contention and stave off the play-in tournament, they will need to snap their three-game skid and turn things around. With a 5-5 record in their last ten, the next few weeks could determine how the rest of the Cavaliers season will play out.