The Cleveland Cavaliers are in dire need of a key cog in their lineup after losing six of their first 10 games to start the season.
Isaiah Thomas, who has started the season on the sidelines, recovering from a hip injury, could potentially be only weeks away from returning — and while the Cavs can be inclined to get him back into playing shape, head coach Tyronn Lue said he won’t rush Thomas back.
“We have to make sure he’s 100 percent,” Lue said Monday as the Cavs regrouped following an embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Hawks, according to Tom Withers of The Associated Press. “We have to worry about him as a player and a person. If he’s not right, not healthy, we don’t want to rush him back to set him back even more.”
Isaiah Thomas’ injury is a fragile one, and one that can present itself again throughout his career if it fails to heal correctly. But even if they get him back before the start of next year, the Cavs could still be mired in the same defensive issues, as Thomas ranked dead last on individual defense for anyone averaging at least 30 minutes of playing time last season.
The Cavs’ main conundrum has been finding a cohesive lineup that can defend and produce enough offense on the floor, and while they might find the latter with Thomas’ scoring ability, they might be even worse defensively with a slimmer, more fragile floor general on the court.