Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill caught an unfortunate break on Monday night, injuring his right hip against the Detroit Pistons in the third quarter. He was hurt on a play in the first half where he came up holding his hip, but continued to play through it until the Cavs made the call to err on the side of caution.
“He's hurting,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the team's 116-95 win. “When Sam can't come back in the game, it's [painful]. I think Evan [Mobley] actually hit him in the hip. Somehow they [collided]. Looks like a hip pointer. Those are painful, so we'll see. But he's hurting right now.”
This is ill-timed, given Merrill's productive first week of the 2025-26 season, so hopefully this hip setback won't linger long. He already dealt with an abductor injury that kept him out of the first three games of the preseason.
The 29-year-old swingman has gotten off to a hot start this year in multiple facets.
Firstly, he's knocked down 18 threes in four games. Moreover, Atkinson is allowing him to play more freely with and without the ball; that includes playmaking, bringing it up the floor, screening, and initiating in certain possessions.
Defensively, Merrill's been one of their most reliable pressure guys. He has picked up full-court, firmed up on the block against opponents with more size, and executed box outs on whoever's trying to get an offensive board.
“Guy has probably been our best player over the first three games,” Atkinson said on Sunday after Cleveland's home opener. “Just quite simply, both ends looks great.”
“He's probably not right, but we have guys that have a lot more difficult roles,” Merrill responded. “But, obviously, I'm glad that he sees that I’m not just making shots, but trying to make winning plays and defend at a high level.”
The Cavs will next travel to play the Boston Celtics. Judging by Atkinson's update, it wouldn't be surprising if Cleveland were without its current starting shooting guard. The wine and gold just got a significant player back in De'Andre Hunter, so at least that's a positive. Still, this is a buzzkill early on.
