On Monday afternoon, news came down the wire stating that Isaiah Thomas will make his long-awaited debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
As most hoops fans know, Thomas, now 28 years of age, has been recovering from a hip injury he sustained in last season’s Eastern Conference Playoffs. After Monday’s practice, which he participated in with no ill effects, the crafty ball-handler reflected on his time away from the game he loves.
“I’m happy it’s here,” Thomas said of his debut. “It’s a blessing.”
“This has made me a better basketball player and a better person,” Thomas added on being injured.
Thomas tells McLeod that his hip feels good, but noted that he’s still lacking rhythm.
“I’m just excited to get out there and compete,” Thomas said. “I’m a scoring guard who knows how to put the ball in the hoop.”
Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue has previously stated that Thomas, who will be coming off the bench in Tuesday night’s game, will be on a minutes restriction. Coach Lue also noted that Thomas will not participate in back-to-back sets, which means the crafty ball-handler won’t be playing against his former team on Wednesday night. The Cavs will return to Beantown on February 11th.
The Cavs have dealt with several injuries this season, and they could certainly use Thomas’ services in the back-court. In his 76 games played for the Celtics last season, the former Washington Huskies stand-out turned in some of the best stats of his life, averaging a career-high 28.9 points on .463 percent shooting from the field (career-high), 5.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and just under one block (.9) per game — all while knocking down a career-high .909 percent of his free-throws.
Tuesday night’s game between the Cavs and Trail Blazers is set to tip inside Quicken Loans Arena at 7:00 p.m. EST. NBA TV and Fox Sports Ohio will have live broadcast coverage.