The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to bounce back from their Christmas Day letdown with an embarrassing 109-95 loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings. Fortunately, there could be reinforcement on the way.
The return of star point guard Isaiah Thomas has been looming for some time now.However, it seems he could be taking the final steps toward making it happen. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, head coach Tyronn Lue says Thomas will participate in the Cavs’ full-on scrimmage for the first time in the 2017-18 NBA season.
“It’ll be a practice, get some shots up, cover defensive rules and principles and also scrimmage a little bit so Isaiah can get a feel and play 5-on-5.” Lue said.
The uptick in Isaiah Thomas’ activity in practice certainly spells good news for the Cavs. Taking part in team scrimmages is usually one of the last stages of making a return. That said, it will be interesting to see how he fares in terms of his conditioning. Often times, the biggest obstacle for players coming off serious surgery is getting back into basketball shape.
It is no secret that a player like Thomas relies heavily on being one of the quickest and most well-conditioned players in the league. While he is likely eager to make his season debut for the Cavs, it is clear that Lue is continuing his cautious approach with the two-time All-Star.