Shaq Out for Two Months and fans are not happy about it. Online sportsbook will still favor the Cleveland Cavaliers down the stretch in the NBA regular season but the Cavaliers will not have center Shaquille O’Neal who has an injured thumb. Shaq is expected to miss the next two months but should be back for the playoffs. Sportsbook has Shaq set to miss about eight weeks which would put him out for the rest of the regular season.
Online sportsbook has the NBA Playoffs starting on April 17th and Shaq may not be ready for the first round. “He feels like he let us down, but we understand injuries happen in the game,” said Cleveland’ Jamario Moon, “I think he’s really down about being out. He let us know it’s time to continue playing basketball and he’s going to be all right.”
Cleveland is probably still going to finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference as they lead the Magic by six games. If the Cavaliers make the Eastern Conference Finals and face the Magic, they would have home court advantage as online sportsbook has it and Shaq would be back by then. Shaq has averaged 12 points and 6.7 rebounds in 53 games for the Cavaliers as online sportsbook stats indicate. “Our guys have done a very good job of stepping up this season. We are confident they will do the same in this situation,” Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry said. “We are fortunate to have some depth in our front court that can keep us moving forward while Shaq recovers and returns to play for the postseason.”
The Cavaliers will probably look to run the ball a little more with Shaq out of the lineup. Online sportsbook has Anderson Varejao expected to start at center. Sportsbook has the Cavaliers expected to resign Zydrunas Ilgauskas as soon as the 30-day league waiting period expires. Online sportsbook has the Cavs set to use J.J. Hickson and Leon Powe as other possible replacements for Shaq.
The Cavaliers have a great record this sportsbook season but they have had their share of injuries. Mo Williams missed 11 games this online sportsbook year, Delonte West has missed time and Powe just returned last week from his injury. “There’s nothing we can do about it,” coach Mike Brown said, “It’s happened all year. Hopefully someone will step up and fill the void and we’ll just keep moving forward.”
Cleveland may have the best record in the Eastern Conference but they are just a .500 team against the sportsbook odds this season.