The Cleveland Cavaliers broke a three-game losing streak with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers, but there appears to be some trouble in paradise as the team is not looking as dominant as they were during this point last season. With injuries hitting the team, the return of a few key players could see Cleveland get back on track as the leaders in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James is making it clear that he is fully healthy and has no plans to spend less time on the court.
James has dealt with some injury issues this season as he had back problems before the year began. James has been trying to carry the team with Kyrie Irving out of the mix and that has certainly taken its toll on him. The Cavaliers are forcing James to average 39.2 minutes per game which is more than a year ago. That caused James to have to rest a night due to exhaustion. According to James he is not injured and does not plan on having his minutes reduced.
"I'm not a 31-, 32-minute guy. That's just not, that ain't me," James said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I'm playing at a high level. I'm shooting the ball extremely well and I'm not hurting my team when I'm on the floor. If I'm hurting my team, then I should be sitting down. But I feel good."
The good news for James is that the Cavaliers might get the return of both Irving and Iman Shumpert as they begin a road trip. Both players have been out since the start of the season with knee and wrist injuries respectively. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, Shumpert and Irving could both return either against the Orlando Magic or Boston Celtics. Head coach David Blatt said the team would take things day by day and see how each player feels during warmups.
"There's a chance that one or two or both will play on the trip, but there's also a chance they don't," Blatt said, via ESPN.com. "We'll see how they're feeling." It's a day-to-day thing with both of them. We kind of like to let them get through the practice then, the next morning, gauge how they're feeling. And then just go from there. But they both will be on the trip with us."
With injuries to Shumpert and Irving, players like Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova have been playing well in their spots. The return of both players just gives Cleveland more depth to work with during the season. The team has a big game on the horizon as they will face the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. If the Warriors are still undefeated at that point, having Shumpert and Irving in full swing will be critical for Cleveland.