De’Andre Hunter is uncertain for the season opener
The Cleveland Cavaliers are scrimmage to start the season this weekbut they can be without a key piece De’Andre Hunter.
After Monday’s preseason practice against the New York Knicks, the Cavs’ head coach Kenny Atkinson shared an update on Hunter’s status for the team’s first game of the year: “Today he worked individually and moved really well. He didn’t do any team stuff.”
Following up on the statement, Atkinson said it’s “too early to tell” if Hunter will try at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
Hunter suffered a knee-to-knee collision in Tuesday’s preseason finale against the Detroit Pistons when he defended Tobias Harris on a drive and stole the ball.
“I’ll be fine,” Hunter said after that game, adding that he’ll “definitely” be ready for Cleveland’s home opener.
“Knees packed, no twisting or anything like that,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the 118-100 win. “He got hit pretty good, right, knee to knee.”
Atkinson and the performance staff arranged for Hunter to sit out the second half as a precaution. It appears to have been the right call, as a knee ailment kept the 27-year-old out of 5-on-5 action for nearly a week.
While not exactly in dire straits, the news isn’t encouraging for a Cavs team that already begins the campaign without two of last year’s starting five. The Wine and Gold already knew that Darius Garland and Max Struss would not be featured in the season opener, but the eventual addition of Hunter — confirmed as the starter at small forward — to that list would be disappointing.
Hunter has been outstanding in the preseason He is projected to be a key player for Cleveland this season. He was spoken highly of by his teammates and head coach Kenny Atkinson, who developed a close relationship with him over the summer.
Spencer Davies has covered the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers as an accredited reporter for over a decade. His work has appeared on Basketball News, Bleacher Report, USA Today, FOX Sports, HoopsHipe, CloseUp360, FanSided and Basketball Insiders, among others.
2025-10-20 19:50:00
