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Cavs lose Shumpert for 12-14 weeks with wrist injury

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without Iman Shumpert for the next 12-to-14 weeks, the team announced Tuesday.

Shumpert recently suffered a ruptured extensor carpi ulnaris sheath in his right wrist, as confirmed by an MRI on Monday. He's set to undergo surgery in Cleveland on Wednesday.

General manager David Griffin told reporters Tuesday that Shumpert injured the wrist last week, hitting it on a rim while catching a lob.

The extensor carpi ulnaris muscle is on the ulnar (pinky) side of the forearm and helps with extension and adduction of the wrist. It's the muscle most commonly associated with tennis elbow, though a sheath rupture is a more serious injury.

It's an inauspicious start to the season for the Cavs, who enter camp with four players still recovering from last season's injuries and with Tristan Thompson absent due to stalled contract negotiations. Cleveland acquired additional wing depth in the offseason, but losing Shumpert, the presumed starting two-guard, for what looks to be two months of the regular season is an unfortunate early blow.

Shumpert missed 20 games due to a shoulder injury last season and dealt with multiple injuries through the postseason. In the 38 games he played with the Cavs after being acquired from the New York Knicks, Shumpert averaged 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 steals. His role took on even greater import in the playoffs, and he was rewarded with a four-year, $40-million contract in the offseason.

His absence will mean a larger role for J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova, among others, and it puts increased pressure on Mo Williams as the interim starting point guard.

With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love set to be brought along slowly, the Cavs could suffer from a slow start once again in 2015-16. A season ago, they started 19-20 before roaring to a 34-9 finish and then a 14-6 record in the postseason, ultimately coming up two wins short of a championship.

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