Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a slow start this season as they have won only four games so far. With a 4-6 record, the reigning Eastern Conference champions are in the 12th spot in the conference, which is a huge surprise. The Cavaliers just haven't been able to stay healthy throughout their first 10 games, and this is the biggest factor for their awful performances and a bad record.
One player the Cavs have missed most is isaiah thomas, who has yet to appear in a regular-season game for Cleveland. Thomas suffered a season-ending injury in the playoffs and is still recovering from it.
The point guard was one of the best scorers in the NBA last season, so it's not surprising that the Cavaliers don't have a suitable replacement for him. However, he may return to action sooner than expected, which is a great news for the team.
Isaiah Thomas is in a much better shape
When the Cavaliers traded for Thomas, they knew that he wouldn't be able to play immediately. However, they didn't know they would have to wait for 2018 to see him play. Isaiah Thomas is expected to return in January next year, but it appears that he's in a much better shape and could come back sooner.
“Though there has been no official update on that target from the Cavs, Thomas’ on-court work has increased at practice and before games," Joe Vardon of cleveland.com reported.
"He received a full training-table stretching and treatment before Friday’s game in Washington, and then hit the court for stationary, one-dribble, and two-dribble shooting, as well as some half-speed drives to the hoop."
Isaiah Thomas couldn't walk without a limp at the start of training camp. I'd say he's make progress. pic.twitter.com/Fpt91E2ejk
— Greg Swartz (@CavsGregBR) November 5, 2017
Thomas has been making progress and he was also seen running on the court.
Considering the condition he was in just a month ago, this is a huge improvement and it makes the Cavaliers hopeful that he will be back before the end of this year.
Cavaliers need Thomas
Trading Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics turned out to be very costly for the Cavaliers as they cannot function well without the point guard.
While they have Derrick Rose on the roster, he is not good enough to replace Irving, and Thomas' injury prevents him from playing.
With a 4-6 record, the Cavaliers need Isaiah Thomas to be back as soon as possible. Even though the East is weak this season, the Cavaliers have lost some games against bad teams and they have no guarantee they will make it to the NBA Finals. Anything less than a championship will be a failure for Cleveland, but not making it to the final round would be devastating.
LeBron James will be able to leave Cleveland next summer, and not winning a championship is something that could easily push him away.
