The Cleveland Cavaliers open training camp September 29, and it appears as if they’ll be at or near full strength from the get-go. As Chris Haynes of Northeast Ohio Media Group reports, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Timofey Mozgov and Anderson Varejao will all be ready for the opening of camp, though not all of them will be able to go full strength.
Irving (fractured knee cap) and Love (separated shoulder) will be active during camp, but on a limited basis. The Cavaliers will work the two in slowly and cautiously. The anticipation is that Love will be fully cleared with no limitations before Irving is given the green light, I’m told.
So far, Love’s workload on the court consists of non-contact drills; while Irving has been coy about what he has been doing.
This is quite the turnaround from a report (which, granted, it was just one report) that claimed Irving could be out until January. If Irving and Love (and the rest of the currently injured Cavaliers) can burst out of the gates at 100 percent, don’t expect the same sluggish start come late October that the Cavaliers experienced last season. The entire team was just starting to hit their groove towards the end of the season, after all, and that juggernaut is likely what we’ll get on opening night.
Still, the Cavaliers need to practice the utmost caution with Irving. He has a checkered injury history, and the team certainly doesn’t want a repeat of last June, where it was reported that they pushed Irving too hard, putting him at greater risk for a more severe injury. If Irving experiences a setback, or even discomfort, the Cavaliers don’t need to push him to play. They’re a guaranteed lock for a high seed in the playoffs with or without Irving playing all 82 games. As long as he’s fresh for the playoffs, that’s all that matters.
