During the first quarter of their preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavs guard Iman Shumpert landed awkwardly on his left foot. “Shump,” as he is known, then managed to walk to the sidelines under his own power, but he did not return to play.
On Thursday morning, Shumpert underwent further examination by the Cavs’ team physicians, Dr. James Rosneck and Dr. Richard Parker, who later confirmed that the injury is a left foot sprain. While the damage doesn’t seem to be that serious, the team announced in a press release that Shumpert is still expected to miss approximately seven-to-ten days of action.
Losing Shumpert is a considerable hit for coach Lue and the Cavs. In his 76 games played in a Wine and Gold uniform last season, the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket averaged 7.5 points on a career-high 41 percent shooting from the field, 2.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and just under one steal (0.8) in 25.5 minutes per game.
Cavs forward LeBron James, who turned his ankle in practice last week, is on the sidelines as well. However, coach Lue has previously stated that he expects James to be ready to play before the start of the regular season.
The Cavs will be back in preseason action on Friday night, when they host the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m. Whether or not James will play remains to be seen.