Iman Shumpert May Return From Wrist Surgery Quicker Than Expected

Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Iman Shumpert was expected to miss 12-14 after having wrist surgery prior to training camp, but he may be back on the court sooner than expected, according to Chris Hayes of Cleveland.com:

“If I could have, I would have played soon as they took the cast off [on Oct. 14]. I think I’m six weeks out. They said 12-14 [weeks], right? If I can make it at 12, I’m trying to make it at 12,” Shumpert told cleveland.com. “If I can get there right at 12, I’m trying to get there right at 12, but I’m trying to make sure I take my time.”

A 12-week recovery period would land near Dec. 15. The full 14-week timetable puts his debut near early January.

Shumpert has had his cast off for a month, and while Cleveland has no reason to rush him back as they lead the Eastern Conference, he is working to get back as quicly as possible. Even so, expect head coach David Blatt to be very cautious with Shumpert.

His starting backcourt-mate, Kyrie Irving, is expected to be out until mid-December with a fractured kneecap he suffered in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. 

Shumpert, known for being a lockdown perimeter defender, averaged 8.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game with the Knicks and Cavs last year. Cleveland acquired him and J.R. Smith in a trade with New York in January.

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