Derrick Rose out against Houston with sore ankle; Iman Shumpert to start

HOUSTON– The Cavaliers take on the Rockets in Houston on Thursday, but they will do so without Derrick Rose, who will miss the game due to a sore left ankle.

The news was initially reported by ESPN and confirmed at the Cavs’ shootaround on Thursday morning by head coach Tyronn Lue.

Rose has continued to experience soreness in his ankle after spraining it in the second game of the season. Iman Shumpert will start in his place at point guard. Rose has already missed four games after spraining his ankle on Oct. 20 in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Since his return, he has been spotty at best. Rose is currently the third leading scorer on the team, averaging 14.3 points per game due to his ability to finish at the rim. He is second on the Cavs only to LeBron James when it comes to scoring on drives, averaging 9.1 points.

But while he is shooting 47.0 percent from the field, he is averaging just 1.7 assists per game, and has 19 total turnovers and just 12 assists in seven games. When you consider his 25.8 usage rate, those numbers become even more staggering.

The game against Houston tonight is the start of a four-game road trip. Next on the docket, the Cavs will take on the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets.

Rose’s status for the Dallas game has not yet been determined.