Cavs: Starting lineup prediction after Collin Sexton injury

The Cleveland Cavaliers have faced a lot of adversity in this young season. Eight of their first eleven games have been on the road, as have eight of those eleven games been against playoff teams from a season ago. Of the league’s eight-worst records, the Cavs have played exactly 0 of them.

On top of the tough schedule, the Cavs have been beset by injuries and absences across the roster. Isaac Okoro has now missed seven games with a hamstring injury, and Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen have missed a combined seven games due to health and safety protocols. Darius Garland and Dylan Windler have both been out a few games as well.

It’s something of a miracle that the Cavs have overachieved and gone 7-4 thus far given the difficulties placed in their way. All together, Spotrac estimates the Cavs have lost around $2.99 million in player games this year. And that is only going to get worse.

After facing numerous hurdles early in the season, an injury to Collin Sexton will only make things more difficult for the Cavs moving forward

Collin Sexton, this team’s leading scorer and starting 2-guard, will miss an extended period of time with a meniscus injury. His recovery period will likely depend on whether he gets a meniscus “trim” or a “repair”, with the former bearing a shorter recovery time but a higher probability to subsequent issues down the road.

For now the Cavs have to prepare for life without Sexton. While he was struggling with his role as the Cavs shift their organizational focus towards Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, the bottom line is still that Sexton was an important part of what Cleveland was doing. They can’t count on Ricky Rubio to turn into Steph Curry every night; they need Sexton’s scoring and energy, and just as importantly this thinning roster needs those minutes filled.

Who is a candidate to replace Sexton in the starting lineup? Let’s walk through a few options before unpacking our prediction to replace him moving forward.