Once again, Larry Drew tries to slow down Uncle Drew!

Kyrie Irving and Friends last lost to the Hawks on December 28, despite his 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Since then, his Cavaliers have dropped four of their last five contests, the sole victory coming at Charlotte. It would really help if somebody over at Quicken could loan these guys a home win. They’ve lost their last six games at the Q since their Masked Marauder returned to slay the once-feared Lakers on December 11.

Now, amidst an already taxing season due to injuries, fans of The Wine and Gold got even more sobering news today. Could-have-been-All-Star Anderson Varejao may miss up to two more months. What was previously thought to be a bruised knee turned out to be a split quad muscle, requiring surgery for the man who was the NBA’s leading rebounder.

Complicating matters up front, reserve Luke Walton missed Monday’s game against the Bulls to tend to a personal matter, and his availability is unknown at the moment. Omri Casspi has been busy beating back plausible trade demand rumors, Samardo Samuels just got waived, and Jon Leuer was just recalled from the D-League yesterday.

With Varejao out, there is no Cavalier frontcourt player averaging more than ten points per game. It is definitely up to rookie Tyler Zeller and Tristan “Shout” Thompson (9.0 RPG, seven double-doubles in his last ten games) to keep the Cavs competitive against a multifaceted (albeit erratic, of late) Hawks frontline. It’s important that these guys (both in the top 20 of the NBA for personal fouls per game) stay out of foul trouble. It’s just as important for guards Dion Waiters and Irving to make the effort to find them.

The Cavs come in tonight with the second-fewest assists per game in the league, plus the second-lowest field goal percentage, the highest opponent field-goal percentage, the second-fewest defensive rebounds, and the fewest blocks in the NBA. But we’ll see if Atlanta can continue its string of being the cure for other teams’ superlative woes. The Hawks have hexed themselves by getting badly out-rebounded by the league’s worst rebounding team (Boston), then giving up threes at a 53% pace to the league’s worst three-point shooters (Minnesota).

Cleveland should get some reinforcements at guard tonight. Boobie Gibson got concussed in a collision with Anthony Morrow during the Hawks’ 102-94 victory on December 28, and he may finally be cleared for a return. Another perimeter shooting threat, C.J. Miles will be active after struggling with back spasms. Jeremy Pargo enjoyed some roasted Hawk on November 30 (22 points off the bench), but he has since fallen in Coach Byron Scott’s depth chart to recent waiver-wire pickup Shaun Livingston.

With poor shot selection decisions late in the game, Waiters (18 points on 7-for-21 FGs on December 28) served up the Hawks victory on a platter the last time they played. Also hampered by composure problems with the refs when he doesn’t get calls, the rookie has been supplanted in the starting lineup by the hot-and-cold Miles. The recent availability of several Cleveland point guards limits his need in a playmaker’s role. But Scott still believes Waiters can score in bunches whenever he gets called to the floor, as he displayed on Monday in Chicago (team-high 18 points and 6 rebounds off the bench). Offensively, though, the fourth quarter needs to be entrusted to Irving and Thompson.

It’s been a little while since the Hawks’ last four-game slide, which they'll try to avoid tonight. Atlanta crapped out the final six games of the 2010-11 season in April 2011, before going Full Possum on Jameer Nelson and the Magic.

As noted by GameTime in Hawksquawk chat last night, lame duck head coach Larry Drew isn’t in any strategic position to dish out severe reprimands to key players for halfhearted play. But he does appear to be at the precipice of putting obvious names on blast when the criticism is deserved.

LD’s most likely target of scorn is Jeff Teague, who failed to set up the offense in two straight games (zero assists at MIN, after just four assists vs. BOS), made questionable fouling choices against the Wolves, and has almost ceased getting to the rim since the first half of the Boston game.

Theoretically, Teague can play more aggressively when there’s a more distribution-oriented guard to fall back upon (Bibby, Hinrich, Devin Harris), but he withers himself out of games over time without lead-guard help, especially when opponents are stacked at the 1-spot and can throw an array of halfcourt matchups at him. Jeff has achieved double-digit assists just once (11 vs. DET on 12/26) in the past month.

Thankfully, Harris will be available to help out tonight, but another small-c cavalier attitude by Teague, this time against Irving and company, will result in just another uphill climb his teammates will have to endure.

Atlanta gets out of sorts for long stretches when forced into halfcourt ball as defenders get back, so they’ll need to put Teague (27 points and 8 assists on December 28) and Lou Williams (16 points with four 3FGs on Dec. 28) to good use by finding them first in transition and letting them, not Al Horford or Josh Smith, push the ball up the court. According to SB Nation’s Fear the Sword site, Synergy stats suggest Cleveland gives up more points in transition than any other NBA team. Alonzo Gee will need help from others getting back down the floor if they are to stop the Hawks from stemming their losing streak tonight.

Go Hawks!

~lw3