The Cleveland Cavaliers are having an unexpected fantastic season thus far. They are 20-14 on the season, only 3.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets at the top of the Eastern Conference. They even have the conferences best plus minus, outscoring their opponents by an average of over six points per game. But the news is not all good for Cavs fans.
It was reported earlier Wednesday that Cavs point guard Ricky Rubio suffered a torn ACL Tuesday night in New Orleans. That’s a damaging blow to the Cavs and their playoff aspirations.
The news was felt around the league. Minnesota Timberwolves super star center Karl-Anthony Towns shared a kind message on social media for the Spaniard.
Towns shared his support and belief that Rubio can come back even stronger.
Rubio was in the middle of one of the best seasons in his 11-year career. Despite being relegated as a bench player, Rubio was still averaging a career-high 13.1 points per game. Rubio was in the middle of his first season with the Cavs and led the second unit. That is one of the key reasons the team has blown out so many opponents this season. Rubio and the bench players are not as big a drop off as most teams.
The team has already been dealing with the loss of Collin Sexton. Sexton tore his left meniscus and had to have season-ending surgery. The Cavs were also without standout rookie Evan Mobley for almost a month.
Despite the injuries, the Cavs have continued to surprise. They will need the next-man-up mentality as Rubio is done for the year.