After a rocky and surprising start to the 2017-18 campaign, the Cleveland Cavaliers are finally starting to find their stride just as the injuries begin to pile up. The Cavs have notched 4 consecutive victories and have done so with injuries to players such as Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, and Tristan Thompson.
Though their guard corps is currently wearing thin, Cleveland will have some talented reinforcement soon, as they await the return of All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas. Thomas is still recovering from a hip injury he sustained with the Boston Celtics last year and his Cavs debut isn’t expected to come until January, though some believe he’ll be ready within the next month.
Thomas took another positive step in his recovery process as ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that Thomas recently took part in full-court offensive drills:
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas participated in full-court five-on-zero offensive drills Sunday, marking the first time he has practiced with his teammates in that manner since he was acquired from the Boston Celtics in a trade involving Kyrie Irving in August.
Isaiah Thomas told Cleveland.com that he ‘felt good for the most part’ at the conclusion of the practice session. With the Cavs slowly but surely starting to find their rhythm, adding Thomas into the mix will give Cleveland a major offensive boost.
With Rose and Thomas both unavailable, the Cavs have turned to veteran journeyman Jose Calderon to hold down the starting point guard role moving forward. The veteran adds shooting and can serve as another spot-up target for LeBron James. Prior to the switch, the Cavs ran J.R.Smith and Shumpert as the starting guard combo with James responsible for the ball-handling duties, a role we know LeBron excels at.
With Isaiah Thomas’ return looming about a month away, the Cavs will have to continue to rely heavily on James as they await the debut of their explosive point guard.
