Editor’s Note: This piece was written before the announcement that Collin Sexton would miss the rest of the season.
On Sunday, November 7th the Cleveland Cavaliers put together one of their best performances of the year, riding a tough defensive effort and a scorching-hot shooting night from Ricky Rubio to a victory in Madison Square Garden over the New York Knicks. The team was riding high.
Unfortunately, that win largely came without the Cavs’ leading scorer, Collin Sexton, who suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter and did not return to the game. The following day the team announced that Sexton would be out indefinitely with a torn meniscus. Nearly two weeks later, that continues to be all that we know.
Collin Sexton injured his knee nearly two weeks ago but there is still no timeline on his injury recovery. When should we expect to see him back?
Eight days after Sexton suffered his injury, Evan Mobley went down with an elbow injury. The following day after testing was done his injury was announced — a right elbow sprain — and a recovery timetable of 2-4 weeks was provided.
Why haven’t we received a timetable for Sexton’s recovery? Is his absence going to be measured in weeks or months? Will the Cavs see him again before the end of the season? These questions are unanswered for the prolific guard; why is that?
It is most likely because there are three incredibly divergent paths for Sexton to address a meniscus injury, depending on the location and severity of the tear, and whether Sexton prioritizes a short-term return or the long-term health of his knee. Complicating things is the fact that he did not sign a contract extension before the season, and therefore will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Sexton may be feeling pressure to return quickly and prove his worth before the summer hits and he needs teams convinced of his value. He has to balance that with his long-term career; if he loses his burst and athleticism as an undersized guard he will be a greatly reduced player throughout his prime and into his 30s.
For those who need a refresher, the meniscus is a piece of cartilage that sits between the thigh and shin bones inside of the knee. It is commonly torn when a knee is violently twisted one way or the other. Depending on the severity of the tear, Sexton has a number of options to address this injury.
Let’s walk down each of those three possible paths of treatment and recovery. For each, how long would Sexton be out, and why might that be the option that is chosen?
Editor’s Note: Thank you to Dr. Brian Sutterer, whose YouTube channel on sports injuries is an invaluable resource. Check out his video on James Wiseman’s meniscus injury for some related information, some of which was used in this piece.