As one of the last men standing on a severely banged-up Cleveland Cavaliers team, there's little room for Iman Shumpert - or anyone else for that matter - to succumb to injury.
Shumpert hasn't played particularly well through five games of the NBA Finals, shooting 27 percent and averaging 6.2 points in 35.8 minutes, but the Cavs have little choice but to ask him to play through the slump. It may not be a matter of a rough stretch or cold streak for Shumpert, as the high-haired wing is dealing with multiple physical ailments.
The shoulder issue that's plagued Shumpert is well-known - he missed six weeks early in the season with a dislocated left shoulder and hurt the shoulder again in Game 3. That alone would be enough of an excuse at this late a juncture in the season, but Shumpert's also dealing with a groin injury, according to Matt Moore of CBSSports.
"There's no time for anybody to hang their head," Shumpert said after Game 5, before doing exactly that.
The Cavs have been outscored by 10.8 points per-100 possessions with Shumpert on the floor in the series. But he remains one of their best defensive wings, making him a necessity on the floor against the Golden State Warriors, and they've been just as bad with Shumpert off the floor.
There are at most two games left in the season. Playing through multiple injuries can't be easy, but the Cavs have no other options, even if Shumpert's at far less than 100 percent and has been ineffective on offense. Winning a championship is a war of attrition, and the Cavs have no choice but to ask Shumpert to solider on best he can.
