Unsurprisingly, both players have been ruled out for Wednesday’s opener against the New York Knicks. Unfortunately for Cleveland, they may also be without their standout from the preseason.
De’Andre Hunter injured his knee during the Cavs’ last preseason game against the Detroit Pistons last Tuesday. He took a hard fall in the first half that resulted in a knee contusion. He didn’t play the second half of the exhibition game like the rest of Cleveland’s starters. However, he confirmed after the game that he was “alright” afterward and would be ready for the season opener against the Knicks.
Despite the optimism last week, Hunter may not be ready to go. He is officially listed as questionable on the injury report ahead of the season opener. We’ll see whether or not he’s capable of going. If he can’t, head coach Kenny Atkinson may opt to insert Dean Wade into the starting lineup to keep Cleveland’s size advantage.
The Knicks are also heading into Wednesday’s contest banged up. They will be without Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart. All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable with a right quad strain. There’s also a possibility they may be without OG Anunoby as well, as he’s probable to play as he’s recovering from a left ankle sprain.
Neither team will be as healthy as they’d like to be for opening night. We’ll see which team handles it better on Wednesday evening.