The Cleveland Cavaliers have started off as the season as the best team in the Eastern Conference and they could get a big boost in December, as Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert are expected to return from injuries. The team also got back Timofey Mozgov, Mo Williams and Matthew Dellavedova back from injuries last week, while LeBron James helped seal a win over the Nets with a game-winning shot.
The Cavaliers have started the season strong despite Irving being out, with James and Kevin Love leading the way for the 13-4 Cavs. The Cavaliers likely will be without Kyrie Irving for a little bit longer, but reports have his return on the horizon, although an official date has not been set. The Cavaliers have been using Mo Williams this season along with Matthew Dellavedova to help step in for Irving until he can return. Pro Basketball Draft reports that Irving is expected to return for the Christmas Day matchup against the Warriors.
The Cavaliers have been without Irving since the point guard injured his knee against Golden State in the NBA finals. Irving had surgery over the summer and his original diagnosis was that he would likely return sometime in January. Chris Haynes at Cleveland.com reported earlier in the month that Irving was starting to work out with teammates and head coach David Blatt said to ESPN that Irving was making good "progress" in his rehab. Adam Zagoria at SNY.tv reported last week that Irving is "expected" to be back before January.
Iman Shumpert has also been sidelined for the Cavaliers this season and he could be back by December as well. Chris Haynes reports that Shumpert is making progress in his recovery and that he could be back by mid-December. Shumpert had wrist surgery before the season started and he was expected to miss between 12 and 14 weeks while recovering. Cleveland.com reported in mid-November that Shumpert was ahead of schedule and Haynes wrote last week that Shumpert has started shooting and doing layups with his injured wrist.
The Cavaliers have Timofey Mozgov, Mo Williams and Matthew Dellavedova back from injuries and that helps take some pressure off of James and Kevin Love until Irving and Shumpert can return. Mozgov was dealing with a shoulder injury, but he was able to return for the game on Friday and put up eight points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of play. Williams dealt with a minor ankle injury and was able to play through last week, while Dellavedova came back after dealing with a calf issue.
The Cavs have been the best team in the east this season despite playing without Irving and Shumpert and James has continued to lead the team with his strong play. James came through again on Saturday, hitting a shot with one second left to give the Cavaliers a victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
