INDEPENDENCE — Coach Byron Scott doesn’t know if rookie point guard Kyrie Irving will be in uniform Wednesday when the Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers.

What Scott does know is the rest of his players will have to play better — and harder — than they did Saturday in a 99-84 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the team’s first game after learning center Anderson Varejao had a fractured right wrist.

Kyrie Irving

“I addressed it after the game, especially,” Scott said Monday at Cleveland Clinic Courts. “I’m hoping the last game was a one-time hangover. From the players’ standpoint, I understand. I understand you’re going to feel a little disappointed or some sadness.”

The Cavs (10-16) provided no update on Varejao’s non-displaced fracture, but one is expected in the next few days. The team’s inspirational leader is expected to miss at least four weeks.

There was some good news for Cleveland, however. Irving, who has missed the last three games with a concussion, participated in all non-contact drills Monday in what was a very light practice.

The final step is for Irving to get medical clearance to go through a full practice. If that happens and he gets through a complete workout today with no setbacks, the 19-year-old could return against the Pacers (17-10), who have dropped two straight and three of their last four.

“To me, he seems normal,” veteran Antawn Jamison said. “I think we’ll have a better gauge to his progression after practice (today), with some contact.”

Whether that will be enough to help the Cavs right the ship remains to be seen.

A season ago, Cleveland was already struggling mightily before Varejao missed the final 47 games with a foot injury, but that’s when things spiraled totally out of control. The Cavs went on to lose an NBA-record 26 games in a row and 36 out of 37 en route to finishing 19-63.

“Those things always play in the back of your mind,” said Jamison, who suffered a season-ending injury to his little finger on Feb. 27. “You just have to be positive we won’t have a repeat of last year.”

Even if the Cavs really go into the tank — there’s a chance players like Ramon Sessions, Jamison and even Varejao could be moved prior to the March 15 trade deadline — there would be one positive.

Prior to Monday, Cleveland had the eighth-worst record in the league. Toronto, New Jersey, Detroit and Sacramento don’t have much better records than the Cavs, so there’s a reasonable chance Cleveland could go into the draft lottery with the fourth-worst record in the league.

Of course, there are still 40 games left this season, so Scott and his players don’t want to hear about the draft.

“You can’t replace the things (Varejao) brings to the table,” said Jamison, who has averaged 26.5 points over the last four games. “Defensively, he makes up so much of what we do. He’s just been playing out of his mind this season. Saying that, for our young guys, this is a challenge.”

Scott said Semih Erden, 25, would start again in place of Varejao against the Pacers. When it was suggested to Scott that Erden didn’t do much in his first start against the Sixers — he had zero points, three rebounds, zero assists and four fouls in 14 minutes — the coach said, “That’s an understatement.”

Scott also said point guard Ben Uzoh, signed to a 10-day contract Friday, already understands the parts of the offense he’s been taught better than a handful of Cavs.

“That’s the scary part,” Scott said. “Either he’s very smart or we’ve got four, five guys who are very dumb.”

Toss in Jamison’s sore foot and Daniel Gibson’s sore ankle — neither is expected to miss any action — plus a lower back strain that continues to sideline Anthony Parker, and the Cavs’ immediate future doesn’t look too promising.

That could change, though, if Irving is back against the Pacers.

“We know how important he is to the team, as well,” said Scott, who had been talking about losing Varejao. “If we can get him back sometime this week, that would be a little bit of a boost.

“I’m hoping to get him back Wednesday, but I’m also preparing for the worst.”

Until further notice, Cavs fans might be wise to adopt a similar approach.

Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4061 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com.

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