Iman Shumpert Injury: Updates on Cavaliers Guard's Ankle and Return

One of the Cleveland Cavaliers' best defensive players is on the mend after suffering an ankle injury on Feb. 6 against the Washington Wizards.

Iman Shumpert suffered the injury after stepping on teammate Kevin Love's foot while defending Wizards guard Bradley Beal in the third quarter.

It is unclear when he'll return to the court. 

Continue for updates.

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Shumpert Out vs. Pacers

Wednesday, Feb. 8

Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com reported Shumpert will not play Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers and will also sit Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Shumpert Injury Details Revealed

Monday, Feb. 6

Shumpert suffered a left ankle sprain, according to Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com. 

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Shumpert a Key Piece of the Cavaliers' Rotation

Shumpert is among Cleveland's most important backcourt players, as he provides an offensive spark while also serving as one of the NBA's premier perimeter defenders.

The former New York Knicks first-round pick has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Cavs, and his offensive production has seen a bump in 2016-17 to the tune of 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. 

Shumpert was a key part of Cleveland's championship run last season, and his defensive excellence was enough for the Cavaliers to keep him around despite having little room to work with against the salary cap.

However, that move has left Cleveland with little depth outside of its star players, which is a huge issue because of Shumpert's propensity for spending time on the injured list.

He missed 28 regular-season games during the 2015-16 campaign, has never appeared in more than 74 in a single season and has reached the 70-game plateau just once in five seasons.

Losing Shumpert at any point in the season would be a negative for Cleveland, but this is especially poor timing since shooting guard J.R. Smith is out with a thumb injury.

The Cavs have little to speak of at the position outside of those two players, with inexperienced guys such as Jordan McRae and DeAndre Liggins waiting in the wings.

The Cavaliers boast top-tier talent unlike almost any other team in the NBA, but losing an important role player like Shumpert could impact their play in a huge way.

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