Cleveland Cavaliers Guard Isaiah Thomas Participates in Full-Court Drills for the First Time This Season
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas has been making good progress recently in his recovery from a labral tear in his right hip, and on Sunday, he participated in five-on-zero non-contact full-court drills for the first time as part of his rehabilitation.
Thomas was running full court during practice at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, and in an interview with cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, he said Sunday's workout was the hardest he had ever run during his rehab.
Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue had suggested that Thomas could have done more if the court was slippery, but they have to be happy with what they have seen so far.
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The two-time All-Star hasn't experienced any setbacks, but he still has a long way to go in the rehabilitation process so fans shouldn't expect to see him suit up in a game anytime soon.
In any case, Thomas isn't in any hurry to return to the court, and the Cavaliers are unlikely to rush him back as well.
"I'm protecting myself, so, even if they wanted me to hurry back, I'm not going to hurry back, just because I've got a long career ahead of me and an important summer as well," Thomas told cleveland.com.
"So, I've got to make sure I'm 100 percent healthy before I step out on the floor. But these guys have not rushed me one bit. They've taken their time with me and I appreciate that. Because most teams, they want you out there, especially if things aren't going well," he continued.
Meanwhile, seldom-used guard José Calderón is expected to get the start at the point guard position while Thomas, Derrick Rose (ankle) and Iman Shumpert (knee) recover from their respective injuries. All-Star forward LeBron James should continue to do most of the ball handling with Calderón playing off the ball.
