Cavaliers shooting for mid-Decemeber return for Isaiah Thomas

The highly anticipated debut of Isaiah Thomas is nearly here. The Cleveland Cavaliers had initially put a return date for early January at the start of the season. But Thomas has not had any setbacks or stalls in his recovery and appears to be ahead of schedule.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, not only is Thomas nearing the point where he can take part in 3-on-3 drills, but the team has internally moved his return date to mid-December:

This is obviously tremendous news, but a rehabilitation process is always a fluid situation. As Thomas ramps up his activity, there’s always the possibility that his recovery may face a setback or stall out. So this timeline isn’t exactly set in stone. But given the success he’s had to this point, there’s little reason for anything other than optimism.

When Thomas does return, he should breathe new life into a starting lineup that has been one of the Cavs weakest units. The team is having a tremendous amount of success due to improved defense and strong play from their bench. If the starters can get on track while receiving this level of production from the bench, the Cavs will be one of the toughest matchups in the league. Even in the regular season!