Central Notes: Cavs, Zipser, Maker

The injuries are piling up for the Cavaliers, with Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson, and Derrick Rose all currently sidelined. The team is also waiting on Isaiah Thomas, who is recovering from offseason surgery, to make his debut.

LeBron James, who enters Tuesday’s slate of games as the league’s leader in minutes played, believes the franchise has the depth to overcome the injury woes.

“It’s good to know that we have depth,” James said (via Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com). “It’s very difficult and it’s very challenging not only on the guys that’s on the court but on the coaching staff, trying to figure out. Sometimes you get a rhythm and then another guy goes down, so, that’s what we’re here for. We have the depth to be able to try to bandage it up until we can all become full.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

• Coach Fred Hoiberg said Paul Zipser, who only saw one minute of action over the Bulls‘ last two games, is “staying positive,” Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times relays. Zipser is under contract through the 2018/19 season, though his salary next season is non-guaranteed.
• Kevin Garnett recently visited the Bucks to work with some of their young talents and came away with a spectacular impression of Thon Maker, as he tells Jonathan Abrams of Bleacher Report. “Thon Maker reminds me a lot of myself. He loves the game. He’s a young, exuberant athlete who has a lot of tools,” KG said. “Thon is going to be the MVP of the league one day. Mark it down. He has the bones. He has the appetite to be able to chase something like that.”