3 years agoCleveland Cavaliers small forward Lauri Markkanen (ankle) has been preemptively ruled out for Friday's contest against the Pacers due to a sprained right ankle. Markkanen has been out since Jan. 22 due to the ailment, paving the way for Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman to see elevated offensive roles. Markkanen had been finding his rhythm from behind the arc prior to being sidelined, having shot 43.5 percent from three across 11 January outings. While his scoring and rebounding averages are exactly the same (13.6 points, 5.3 boards) as last season with Chicago, his overall shooting percentage has dipped to 43.6%, complicating his season-long viability in medium-sized or smaller formats as the second half of the season approaches.--Jesse Borek
Source: NBA Injury Report