Cavs guard to miss trip to Milwaukee to face Bucks

MILWAUKEE — Caris LeVert has been the surge off the bench that the Cavs have needed to perfectly intertwine the second unit with the starters, but the Cavs will have to do without their sixth man in Saturday’s contest against Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum.

The 30-year-old is sidelined with right knee soreness, a similar left knee injury held him out of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston that ultimately ended the Cavs’ season.

The left knee injury, designated as a bone bruise, that LeVert suffered during the playoffs didn’t have him feeling like himself until two to three weeks before training camp. He said it was wear and tear from playing in the NBA for now nine seasons.

“It was a tough kind of up and down,” LeVert said of the injury and getting back into season form. “Anyone who’s dealt with a knee injury or anything like that, you have good days, bad days, good weeks, bad weeks, so it was kind of up and down. But I would say about two, three weeks ago, I started to feel consistently good every single day.”

Although he’s been at 100% to start the year, LeVert walked into the locker room after Friday’s 120-109 win over the Magic with an ice bag on his right knee.

While it could be a precautionary tactic on the second night of a back-to-back against another physical opponent, it is a significant loss for the Cavs as LeVert had come out the gate hot on both ends of the floor.

Cleveland’s offense is scoring 135.4 points per 100 possessions through six games when LeVert has been on the floor. Not only because of his efficient scoring, as he’s averaging 12 points per game on 61.4% from the field and 52.4% from deep, but he’s also been a constant facilitator. To start the season, he’s averaging 4.3 assists for the season with more than five assists in back-to-back games as the offense continues to get comfortable in Kenny Atkinson’s system. He also boasts the highest individual offensive rating in the league for players averaging more than 15 minutes per game.

“Caris, he’s buying in,” Atkinson said of his former protégé in Brooklyn. “I feel like he’s dribbling less, and he’s getting to the rim quicker. He’s catching, shooting the ball without hesitating. Those are the things we’re emphasizing. That’s why I feel like every game he’s plus, leading the team in plus-minus. He’s got to keep it going and, of course, he’s defending.”

The Cavs’ attempt to secure their second best start to a season in franchise history with their seventh straight win became even more difficult as LeVert joins, Max Strus (ankle), Jaylon Tyson (hip) and Emoni Bates (knee) as players out for Saturday’s contest against the Bucks.