Isaiah Thomas Injury Update: Player Joins G-League Franchise for Full-Team Practice
The Cleveland Cavaliers recently announced that Isaiah Thomas had been assigned to their G-League franchise, the Canton Charge. They then recalled him from the team a few hours later.
Thomas was assigned to and recalled from the Charge alongside Ante Zizic.
Designating Thomas to the Canton Charge was part of his rehabilitation process since the Cavaliers do not play a five-on-five game during practice sessions.
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In a statement, the Cavaliers announced Thursday: "Thomas is on assignment in order to officially participate in the Charge full-team practice."
Meanwhile, a few hours later, the organization made another announcement confirming that Thomas and Zizic were being recalled from the Canton Charge.
Unlike Thomas, Zizic has played for the Canton Charge in four games this season. He was able to put up averages of 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game during his time with the team.
Thomas' exposure to a five-on-five play means that he is making great progress in recovering from his hip injury that has kept him from playing with the Cavaliers since a blockbuster trade was made this summer with his former team, the Boston Celtics.
On the other hand, Thomas was also seen in a Cavaliers uniform during the team's Thursday night game against the Chicago Bulls. While Thomas did not actually play, the Cavs continued their winning streak, 115-112.
In an interview, the former Boston point guard said that just joining the team during Thursday night's warmup was "everything" to him.
Thomas said (via Cleveland.com): "When I was out there in warmups, it just felt like I was a rookie again, like my first game. I haven't been in an arena like that where you're warming up, you're with teammates, that's so new right now."
Despite the remarkable progress he is making, reports suggest that Thomas is unlikely going to join the team in their upcoming game against the Golden State Warriors next week.
Teammate LeBron James also confirmed that while Thomas' return had no specific timetable, the point guard was nearing his on-court debut as a Cavalier.
James jokingly told reporters: "His attitude is getting worse and worse because he's getting closer and closer. When you get closer and closer to something you love and you want, your attitude actually gets worse."
In his last season with Boston, Thomas averaged 28.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game during the 2016-17 NBA season.
