As if their four-game losing streak wasn’t enough, the Cleveland Cavaliers absorbed another blow after center Tristan Thompson suffered a left calf strain in their 124-107 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, the 26-year-old Thompson will be sidelined for three to four weeks. The Cavs were already without Isaiah Thomas and Iman Shumpert, who is out five to seven days with soreness in his right knee. Thomas, for his part, is still rehabilitating from a hip injury that he sustained last season when he was still with the Boston Celtics.
Thompson started the season off the bench as coach Tyronn Lue moved Kevin Love from power forward to center. However, Thompson regained his spot in the starting lineup, earning five starts this season. Thompson is averaging 4.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game this season. Without Thompson and Shumpert, the Cavs will have a hard time on defense. Currently, the Cavs are 26th in the NBA on defense, giving up 111.9 points per game to opponents. In Thompson’s absence, Lue may bring back Jae Crowder to the starting lineup at power forward while Love will return to the center position, with Ante Zizic and Channing Frye providing minutes off the bench.
No damage in Shumpert’s knee
The team said Shumpert’s knee showed no structural damage after extensive examination.
Shumpert will rest for five to seven days before he undergoes another examination after one week. This season, Shumpert is averaging 6.0 points and 1.0 assists off the bench. Shumpert has been hampered by different injuries during his stint with the Cavaliers. During the 2015-16 season, he played just 54 games and 62 games during the 2014-15 season that he split between the Cavaliers and the New York Knicks.
Last season, Shumpert played 76 games, averaging 7.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per game. However, he had a limited role in last season’s playoffs, averaging just 16.2 minutes per game and just 13.4 minutes in the NBA Finals. With Shumpert out, JR Smith, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, and Jose Calderon will share backcourt responsibilities.
Loss to Pacers came after team meeting
One day after holding a team meeting, the Cavaliers suffered an embarrassing loss to the Pacers on Wednesday. LeBron James tallied 33 points and 11 assists, Rose had 19 points, while Love had a double-double with 13 points and 13 boards, but their efforts weren’t enough as the Cavaliers slipped to 3-5 after losing five of their last six games.
