While there are doubts about Isaiah Thomas’ availability for the start of the 2017-18 season, there’s one thing the Cleveland Cavaliers could count on: Thomas putting in the necessary work to get back to his 100 percent self.
According to a report by Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the diminutive guard out of Washington is set to start the recovery process from an injured hip next week with this new team.
New Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas is set to arrive Sunday and begin his rehab work on his injured right hip with team doctors and training staff on Tuesday.
It wasn’t that long ago when Thomas was shipped to Cleveland from the Boston Celtics, who gave up quite a lot to get the services of the now ex-Cavaliers guard, Kyrie Irving. Thomas expected to be part of the Celtics’ long-term plans, but his ailing hip along with the idea that the Celtics were not interested in giving him a max deal next year have nixed his stay in Beantown.
The Cavaliers have yet to announce a timetable for Thomas’ return, partly because the severity of Thomas’ injury has yet to be fully determined. With the help of doctors in Cleveland, the Cavaliers are hopeful they’ll be able to lay out a more specific time of return for Thomas, who, just a season ago finished third in the NBA in scoring with 28.9 points per game.
Thomas’ work back to the court will be overseen by Dr. James Rosneck, a renowned hip specialist at the Cleveland Clinic who works with the Cavs. Dr. Richard Parker, the team’s lead doctor and an orthopedic surgeon at the Clinic, will of course also be involved.
Even without a timetable for his return, it has been very much speculated that Thomas would miss the early goings of the upcoming season, meaning there’s a big possibility that he won’t be on the floor when the Celtics and the Cavs kick off their respective season against each other on October 17.