Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue, who missed the past nine games with health concerns, will be back on the sidelines Thursday, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
The 40-year-old had several health-related issues when he decided to step aside, including chest pains and sleep deprivation. He last coached on March 17 and wasn’t able to come out of the locker room for the second half of the game.
In addition to taking medication, Lue has made changes to his diet and sleep patterns and adopted an exercise program. He has been spending time with the Cavs before and after games and at their training facility in preparation for his return.
Cleveland posted an 8-1 record under lead assistant Larry Drew and is third in the Eastern Conference. Drew’s record is 9-1 overall, counting a game that Lue missed in December.
“He’s kind of been gradually getting back into it,” Drew said. “I can see that the guys have already embraced him. So it’s just a matter of him being more hands on now once he does get back.”
Players are looking forward to Lue’s return and a chance to get things back to normal before the playoffs begin.
“We’re very happy to have him back,” Rodney Hood said. “We look forward to having him back, having his voice back in the locker room.”
Glad to see coach Lue is feeling better!