Report: Isaiah Thomas set for possible Cavs debut against the Boston Celtics

GiveMeSport

scores

By Tariq Saleh

Published Dec 18, 2017

The two-time All-Star is close to making a comeback after spending seven months out with a hip injury

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Cleveland Cavaliers were pushing for a mid-December return for injured All-Star Isaiah Thomas.However, that possibility now appears to be extremely unlikely as the latest reports suggest that he is still a few weeks away from being cleared to play following a hip injury.Per ESPN's Dave Mcmenamin: "A source close to Thomas told ESPN that his camp has ruled out a return before Christmas, taking Tuesday's road game against the Milwaukee Bucks and Thursday's home game against the Chicago Bulls off the table for his Cavs debut."The point guard has been stepping up his recovery significantly over the last few weeks as he's taken part in three-on-three and four-on-four drills with teammates and members of the coaching staff.Since acquiring the 28-year-old in a trade with the Boston Celtics that sent Kyrie Irving in the opposite direction, the Cavs have been taking a cautious approach with him in an effort to get him back to 100% for the crucial stages of the season.Thomas has been out since May and is yet to take part in a full practice session with the team, mainly due to the fact that they very rarely practice.However, with a Christmas Day showdown with the Golden State Warriors coming up, McMenamin reports that the Cavaliers have a session scheduled for Christmas Eve that IT is expected to take part in.According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, he is targeting a comeback in the first week of January. This could potentially see the All-NBA guard making his first appearance of the year at TD Garden against the Celtics.

Isaiah has had a lot to say about Boston's decision to trade him and it will be an emotional occasion if he suits up on that night to face his former team as he's determined to gain some level of revenge.

But head coach Tyronn Lue is still keeping his cards close to his chest regarding Thomas and insists he doesn't know when he'll be ready.

"I don't know where that came from, but I hope so," Lue said following the Cavs' 106-99 win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday. "I hope it's accurate."