Cleveland Cavaliers star Collin Sexton ruled out for the rest of the NBA season; Here’s what we know so far
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton is set to miss the rest of the 2021-22 NBA season due to a knee injury. Sexton underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee suffered last November 7th against the New York Knicks.
Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to report on the surgery and Sexton's status for the season. The Cavaliers followed up with their official report stating that surgery was the only option for Sexton. The 22-year-old went under the knife on November 17th in Atlanta. The surgery was performed by Dr. Kyle Hammond of the Emory University Sports Medicine Center.
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Collin Sexton suffered the injury last November 7th in a game against the New York Knicks. The injury occurred in the second quarter when Sexton bumped knees with teammate Jarrett Allen. Sexton left the game due to discomfort and underwent testing the next day. The Cavaliers went on to win the game 126-109.
After further evaluation, the Cavaliers medical team determined that Sexton will need surgery to repair the torn meniscus. It's a huge blow for Sexton and the Cavaliers as they are having a surprisingly good start to the season.
The Cavaliers are going to miss Collin Sexton's production as a scorer. He was averaging 16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game before the injury. Last season, Sexton had his breakout campaign as he averaged career-highs across the board. He averaged 24.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Meanwhile, Sexton is set to become a restricted free agent after the season. Him and the Cavaliers failed to agree on a rookie scale extension this offseason. It will be hard for Sexton to get a good deal because he's coming off a major knee injury.
Who will step up for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Collin Sexton's absence?
Before Collin Sexton suffered a knee injury, the Cleveland Cavaliers had been using him and Darius Garland in both guard positions. Sexton serves as the primary scorer, while Garland is the playmaker.
Now that Sexton is out for the rest of the season, Garland has to step up and become the scorer. He can certainly score the basketball and is a good shooter from beyond the arc. Veteran guard Ricky Rubio could now be the primary playmaker for the Cavaliers.
"Ricky Rubio, he the GOAT!"
Darius Garland hyping up Rubio after he dropped 37 Pts off the bench 👏 https://t.co/FLbvu59kKX
Even Isaac Okoro, who was Cleveland's first-round pick last year, may get additional minutes due to the void left by Collin Sexton. The Cavaliers have been decimated by injuries recently. Evan Mobley is out with an elbow injury, while Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Love were just recently cleared from the league's health and safety protocols.