Though the Cleveland Cavaliers have finally started to turn it on in a big way after a porous start to the season, the team still isn’t close to full strength. The herculean play of LeBron James had led Cleveland to 8 straight victories, even without some of their contributors such as Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, and Derrick Rose. Oh and also, not to mention the All-Star caliber point guard they received in return for Kyrie Irving this summer.
Though Isaiah Thomas is still recovering from a torn labrum in his right hip, the dynamic 5’9″ floor general appears to be well ahead of schedule as he recently participated in offensive drills and can be seen warming up prior to games. First expected back sometime in January or even February around the All-Star break, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that the Cavs are now aiming for a mid-December return for Thomas:
Windhorst: Internally, the #Cavs are shooting for mid-December for a return of Isaiah Thomas. He is ramping up to 3-on-3 work.
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) November 28, 2017
With December just days around the corner, this new projection would have Thomas back on the hardwood within the next couple weeks. Despite this recent turn around from the Cavs, this has to make fans and members of the organization ecstatic. The quicker James and company can acclimate IT into the fold, the better poised this team will be for another playoff run.
With Derrick Rose’s future very much in the air, Jose Calderon has been manning the starting point guard role, an inadequate option for a contending team. Thankfully, it appears the Cavs will get their much-needed upgrade soon as IT continues to work towards his return in the coming weeks.
