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Varejao's availability was supposed to be determined at shootaround, but it's clear his knee contusion is a little more serious than the team had initially let on. Varejao will not play on Saturday against the Nets either, meaning the earliest he could return is January 2 against the Kings. Tyler Zeller will continue to start and is averaging 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.0 blocks on 40.4 percent shooting as a member of the starting lineup. Tristan Thompson, who has played well in Varejao's absence, also gets a boost.