According to Ty Lue, Derrick Rose will miss Monday's game against the Knicks because of his left ankle injury. Iman will start again tonight.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a very slow start to the season. Last season, they finished with a regular season record of 51-31 and, won the eastern conference finals. They ended up losing in the NBA finals against the Golden State Warriors, 4-1, in a seven-game series. Looking to improve, several players were acquired in the offseason such as Dwayne Wade, Isiah Thomas, and Derrick Rose.

Unfortunately, these additions have not generated an effect on the Cavaliers.

They are currently 6-7 this season and, 20th in the NBA power rankings. With Derrick Rose's injury, the early season struggles keep growing. He's become an integral part of the backup unit and his performance will be missed.

Derrick Rose's injury history

Derrick Rose spent the first few years of his NBA career under the Chicago Bulls. There, he proved why he deserved to be the number one pick in the NBA draft. An offensive threat in multiple ways, he eventually won an MVP award at such a young age. Then, he suffered multiple ligament tears that ended up sidelining him for seasons at a time. Once he returned, his performance was a shell of its former self. He was traded to the New York Knicks where he suffered another season-ending injury.

Eventually, the Cleveland Cavaliers signed him from the free agency where he has been dealing with smaller injuries.

Derrick Rose's health has been the main hindrance to his basketball career. He MVP level of performance has been shown in some games but it is unsure if he can consistently play at that level again without injuring himself.

Cleveland's injury struggles

Injuries have swept through the Cavaliers' lineup. Starting point guard Isiah Thomas is out for half of the season due to a hip problem. One of his backups, Dwayne Wade, is suffering from chronic back pains. His main backup, Derrick Rose, has been suffering from ankle soreness throughout the season.

Rose finally succumbed to the pain and is now ruled ineligible to play. He will be replaced by Iman Shumpert, who dealt with injury in the preseason until Rose is healthy enough to play again.

These gaps in the lineup have contributed the Cavaliers' poor performance in the season. They lost games against subpar teams and are shadows of the team they were last year. Without Derrick Rose leading the second unit, the Cavaliers will not be able to maintain leads when the starters are resting. They play Rose's former team, the New York Knicks today, who have been playing much better than their last year efforts. The lack of production without Derrick Rose will be evident in the bench's performance tonight.
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