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Isaiah Thomas' Return Cannot Come Soon Enough

January 1st, 2018 at 10:11am CST by marksuleymanov

Isaiah Thomas‘ return should happen any day now and it could not come a moment sooner for the Cavaliers, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. Cleveland has dropped four of its past five games, including back-to-back losses to the sub-.500 Kings and Jazz. Thomas’ ability to score will help a Cavaliers team in need of an offensive punch.

Thomas completed his first scrimmage with the Cavaliers on Friday and came out of it well. It has been reported that tomorrow’s contest against the Trail Blazers could see Thomas return or the following night against the Celtics in Boston — his former team. Either way, Thomas’ return is close and if he manages anything close to his 28.9 PPG average from last season, Cleveland will be better off.

Rose, Shumpert Making Progress Toward Return

December 30th, 2017 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s also positive health news regarding the Cavaliers, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. In addition to the imminent debut of Isaiah Thomas, Cleveland expects to have Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert back soon. Rose has been sidelined since December 7 with bone spurs and a sprained ankle, while Shumpert hasn’t played since having meniscus surgery December 1. “D Rose looked good the other day,” said coach Tyronn Lue. “First time I seen him run without a limp. He was going through some stuff. He was doing three-man weave with a lot of pace and speed. … You know Shump, he’s always healing faster than he’s supposed to, so he’s coming along well also.”

Cavaliers Notes: Thomas, Rose, LeBron

December 29th, 2017 at 3:43pm CST by marksuleymanov

Isaiah Thomas‘ return could be just days away but if the Cavaliers point guard had his way, he would have played in his team’s Wednesday night tilt against the Kings. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com tweets that Thomas tried to force the Cavaliers into playing versus Sacramento him but the team denied his request.

Thomas has been rehabbing from a hip injury and scheduled to participate in his first scrimmage with the team today. If all goes well, various reports have indicated that Thomas’ season debut could happen against the Trail Blazers on January 2. It is possible that Cleveland holds Thomas’ debut off a night further, meaning he could face his former team, the Celtics, on January 3 in Boston. However, head coach Tyronn Lue has said that Thomas will not play in back-to-back games when he returns. Therefore, Thomas may need to wait until February 11 — the next time Cleveland is set to visit Boston — to face his former team if he plays this Tuesday.

Check out other news from the Cavaliers organization below:

Thomas addressed the possibility of making his season debut in dramatic fashion against the Celtics in Boston. “It’s going to be a really special game for me,” Thomas said (via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). “It’s going to be emotional because I just gave my heart to that city and they showed genuine love back. … (But) that minute restriction, that would be tough to play in [Boston] on a minute restriction.”
In a wide-ranging interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, oft-injured Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose addressed his sabbatical from the team, managing his long list of injuries and retirement. Rose, 29, said he never contemplated retiring after he took a leave from the team in late November and feels he can still be a productive NBA player.
LeBron James, who turns 33 tomorrow, is having another characteristically strong season but is he better now than he was five years ago? Victor Mather of The New York Times examines James’ numbers compared to other players in their 15th seasons and the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player stacks up well or better against almost every comparable player.

Cavaliers Notes: Thomas, Thompson, Green, James

December 29th, 2017 at 9:35am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers still aren’t sure when injured guard Isaiah Thomas will be ready for his season debut, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Thomas will get his first chance to play alongside his Cavaliers teammates during the team’s practice today. He scrimmaged with the organization’s G League affiliate in Canton last week. Coach Tyronn Lue said the purpose of today’s workout is to “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.”

When the Cavs departed on their current three-game road trip, they were hoping to have Thomas ready at some point. But he was held out of games at Golden State and Sacramento, and his status for Saturday’s contest in Utah is uncertain. Lue originally told reporters that Thomas wouldn’t play against the Jazz, but later said “I don’t know” to follow-up questions about his availability.

Cleveland travels to Boston next Wednesday, which would be a dramatic setting for Thomas to return, but Vardon speculates that Tuesday’s home game against the Trail Blazers is more likely. The Cavs were wary about throwing Thomas into a high-profile game against the Warriors and would likely view the Celtics the same way. Another possible date is January 6, when Thomas has a new shoe coming out and Cleveland plays at Orlando.

There’s more today out of Cleveland:

Tristan Thompson is putting up the worst numbers of his career and may be a trade candidate before the February 8 deadline, Vardon writes in a separate piece. Thompson’s playing time has been cut to 17.7 minutes per game and he is averaging just 4.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. He has been on a minutes restriction since missing 20 games with a strained left calf muscle, and the team has been successful with Kevin Love as the starting center.
Free agent addition Jeff Green has taken on several roles since coming to Cleveland, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Following the worst season of his career last year in Orlando, Green is happy in his new role with the Cavs. “I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t have any expectation,” Green said. “When I talked to T. Lue — we didn’t know back then, didn’t know the personnel that was going to be all in the locker room. It was just, ‘Jeff come in and be Jeff.’ Last year was a rough year so it was, ‘Jeff come in and be the player I know you can be. Play hard and things will fall into place.’ And that’s what’s happened.”
LeBron James is putting up amazing numbers in his 15th NBA season, but the secrets to his longevity happened years ago, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Central Notes: Thomas, Perkins, Mirotic, Portis

December 28th, 2017 at 9:35am CST by marksuleymanov

After a disappointing loss to the Kings on Wednesday, the Cavaliers cannot get Isaiah Thomas back from injury soon enough, USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick writes. Cleveland acquired Thomas in the offseason trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston but Thomas has not played this season due to a hip injury.

Despite rumblings that Thomas may play this week, Amick writes that his return will likely occur against the Trail Blazers on January 2 or the following night against the Celtics. Facing his former team in his first game back would be a dramatic story but it is also possible for Thomas to play against Portland and skip the next game as he eases into playing. The 28-year-old averaged an Eastern Conference-best 28.9 PPG last season and his Cavaliers teammates see his impending return as a positive.

“I think it’ll be good in a lot of ways,” Cavaliers guard Kyle Korver said USA TODAY Sports. “You know, sometimes when we get stagnant is when we start depending on ‘Bron too much to create everything, and he can do it, but it’s hard every night for an 82-game season. To have someone else who can share that load of handling the ball and making plays for guys, I think that’ll help us out.”

Check out other Central Division news and notes below:

Instead of retiring or accepting a coaching gig, Kendrick Perkins has willingly played for the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Perkins, 33, is a four-time NBA finalist with over $60MM in career earnings but he still feels he can help an NBA team, Scott Patsko of Cleveland.com writes. “I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback,” Perkins, who is averaging 10.7 PPG and 8.4 RPG in Canton said. “I feel I’ve played well in the minutes I’ve played. I wanted to show that I can still put the ball in the basket. And that I can still just move and play with the speed, pick and roll. I just wanted to prove that I can actually compete.”
The Bulls have played like a completely different team since Nikola Mirotic‘s return from a facial injury he suffered at the literal hand of teammate Bobby Portis. Their preseason fight made headlines and strained their relationship but Mirotic acknowledged that Chicago’s 9-2 record since his return has been helped by both men being professional, per ESPN’s Nick Freidell. “I think it was huge,” Mirotic said to ESPN on Wednesday. “I think it was huge because people didn’t know how we were going to act because it was a tough moment obviously for all of us, especially for me. But I think [up to now] we’ve handled it well.”

Central Notes: Trade Deadline, Love, Dunn

December 27th, 2017 at 3:43pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Coach Stan Van Gundy, who is also the team’s president of basketball operations, doesn’t think the new trade deadline will have much of an impact. The trade deadline this season is February 8th, two weeks earlier than normal, so that it no longer dominates the chatter during All-Star weekend.

“I don’t think it will change anything,” he told Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors. “It’s just that the flurry of rumors and a few moves will happen at a little earlier date. It doesn’t matter where they put it.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Kevin Love was reluctant to make the switch to center but he understands that it gives the Cavaliers the best chance to beat the Warriors, as he tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “Yeah, I think there is something to be said for me playing the 5 and logging most of the minutes there,” Love said. “I think we match up better, maybe, but it’s just so hard to say without [Stephen Curry] being on the floor.”
Kris Dunn, who came to the Bulls in the Jimmy Butler trade, earned his spot in the starting lineup and coach Fred Hoiberg has confidence in the young playmaker. “The players see through it if you just give the position or starting spot or minutes,” said Hoiberg (via Sam Smith of NBA.com). “You have to earn it and Kris has. It’s [also] very important you have a guy you have confidence in who can make the right play down the stretch. We’ve trusted him and put the ball in his hands. And there’s his willingness to learn in a lot of situations.“

Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.

Isaiah Thomas Speaks Out On Trade Questions, Injury

December 26th, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

In a pair of tweets this afternoon, Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas lashed out at reporters who continue to bring up his trade from the Celtics.

“Don’t get mad at me like im sitting here wanting to still talk about the trade,” he posted. “Get mad at the person interviewing me lol. Get mad at the questions not the REAL answers! These post were for the people who think I’m salty about the trade… Good morning to y’all too lol.”

The tweets come a day after ESPN aired an in-depth interview with Thomas in which he says he regrets playing for the Celtics in the playoffs on an injured hip. He aggravated the condition, forcing him out of the Eastern Conference finals and setting up a long rehab process that still isn’t fully complete.

“No matter what, I’ve always played through injuries,” Thomas said. “If I went back and could do it again, I would have sat out the playoffs because I would have been playing right now and I would have been 100% hopefully.”

Thomas adds that he wasn’t aware of the severity of the injury when he made the decision to continue playing.

“I do wish I had more information,” he said. “It was never, ‘This can be something that could possibly shut you down for a while.’ Because if that was the case, I definitely wouldn’t have played.”

Thomas, who may be medically cleared to return to action this week, also tweeted today that he doesn’t have any bitterness toward the Celtics for the way things turned out.

“I will always love Boston,” he wrote. “That city and organization gave me a opportunity to be a superstar and I took it.”

Cavaliers, Warriors Have Changed Since Finals

December 25th, 2017 at 1:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Only six months have passed since Golden State defeated Cleveland in the NBA Finals, but both teams will have a different look when they square off today, writes Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.

In a preview of the game, Kawakami examines the changes both teams have undergone since June. The most obvious differences involve the Cavaliers, who were radically altered by the trade of Kyrie Irving to the Celtics. Irving was a tough matchup for the Warriors, scoring 23, 26, 30, 40 and 41 points in Cleveland’s five Finals victories over the past two years, and the Cavaliers haven’t developed a similar secondary scoring threat to complement LeBron James.

That could change with the return of Isaiah Thomas, which may happen this week, but for now Jose Calderon mans the point guard spot. Calderon was technically a Warrior for a brief time last season, agreeing to sign with the team before being replaced by Matt Barnes after Kevin Durant‘s knee injury. The Cavs have been close to unbeatable since Calderon took over as the starting point guard after Dwyane Wade and then Derrick Rose held the position early in the season.

The addition of Jae Crowder, another part of the Irving trade, will change the defensive assignments, Kawakami adds. The Cavs wanted a player like Crowder to match up better with the Warriors, and he is expected to be the primary defender on Durant, with James switching to Draymond Green. Jeff Green, Durant’s former teammate in Oklahoma City and a free agent addition for Cleveland in the offseason, should also see time guarding the Finals MVP.

Kawakami contends the gap between the teams may be greater now than it was in June. He notes that the Warriors added a pair of valuable free agents in Omri Casspi, who is contributing far more than Barnes did, and Nick Young, who has been a more explosive scorer off the bench than Ian Clark. Golden State also found a gem in rookie Jordan Bell, who matches up better than any other Warriors center against a smaller Cavs lineup that has Kevin Love in the middle.

With Thomas still sidelined and Stephen Curry missing time with an injured ankle, today’s game and a rematch January 15 in Cleveland may not determine which of these superpowers is better. But it could give us some hints of what to expect if they meet in a fourth straight Finals next June.

Spend Christmas With Us

December 25th, 2017 at 11:10am CST by Arthur Hill

One of the many great things about Christmas is a full slate of NBA games that begins at 11am Central and stretches throughout the day. We at Hoops Rumors welcome our readers to use this post to comment on all of today’s action.

The games tip off with a showcase of some of the league’s brightest young stars as the Knicks host the Sixers. Philadelphia center Joel Embiid has been medically cleared to play, joining teammate Ben Simmons and New York’s Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina in a look at the NBA’s future.

The spotlight game of the day comes next as the Warriors host the Cavaliers in a rematch of the past three NBA Finals. Both teams come into the contest near the top of their conferences and a fourth straight Finals clash seems likely, if not inevitable. Even though Stephen Curry will be sidelined and Isaiah Thomas isn’t quite ready to return, Cleveland-Golden State games are always special.

The Wizards and Celtics are next in a rematch of their thrilling series in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals. It’s a battle of two of the league’s best point guards as John Wall faces Kyrie Irving in Boston’s first home Christmas Day game in 69 years.

Following that, last year’s top two vote-getters in the MVP race will be on display as Russell Westbrook and the Thunder host James Harden and the Rockets. The addition of Chris Paul has helped Houston post the league’s best record at 25-6. The additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony were supposed to do the same for Oklahoma City, which may be coming together with four straight wins after a slow start.

The night will end at Staples Center as the Lakers host the Northwest Division-leading Timberwolves. Lonzo Ball will miss the game with a sprained left shoulder, but Rookie of the Year candidate Kyle Kuzma is still worth watching as L.A. faces Jimmy Butler and the new-look Wolves.

The staff of Hoops Rumors extends Merry Christmas wishes to all our readers. Thank you for your loyalty throughout the year and please consider spending part of your holiday with us.

Isaiah Thomas Could Play This Week

December 25th, 2017 at 9:49am CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers fans who have been waiting for Isaiah Thomas won’t get their wish granted at Christmas, but it could happen soon, according to Dave McMenamin’s ESPN Now post.

Coach Tyronn Lue reported that Thomas felt “a little sore, but nothing serious” after participating in a full-court scrimmage Thursday with Cleveland’s G League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Thomas practiced with the Cavaliers Saturday, which Lue said involved “a lot of shooting drills live, full court,” then ran through plays with the coaching staff Sunday in a half-court setting with no defenders.

Thomas definitely won’t play in today’s showcase game with the Warriors, but he could be activated for Wednesday’s contest in Sacramento. Lue responded, “I’m not sure. Just got to see,” when asked about that possibility. Cleveland is starting a three-game road trip that concludes Saturday in Utah, and it appears likely that Thomas will play at some point.

Thomas’ wife posted a video on her Instagram account of him dunking at Sunday’s practice. He bounced the ball high off the floor before slamming it in.

One of the key pieces in the August trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston, Thomas will miss his 34th game today while recovering from a hip injury that he suffered last season and aggravated during the Eastern Conference finals. He is coming off a career-best year with the Celtics in which he averaged 28.9 points per game and finished fifth in the MVP voting.