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NBA Rumors: Isaiah Thomas likely to make season debut in January

By Michael Saenz

BOSTON, MA - MAY 19: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop.) Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics reacts in the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Two of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 19, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 19: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop.) Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics reacts in the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Two of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 19, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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NBA Rumors: Isaiah Thomas will likely make his season debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers in January, despite rumors of a Christmas return

After recovering from a rocky start to the 2016-17 NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are miraculously just 1.5 games back of the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

At one point this season, the Cavs were 5-7 and near the bottom of the East. However, since that woeful start, Cleveland is 18-1. The turnaround that has occurred is actually quite amazing, even with LeBron James playing out of his mind.

The Cavs lost Kyrie Irving this past summer, and his replacement hasn’t even played a game this season. The fact that Cleveland is still just a game back from the top-seeded Celtics in the loss column is a testament to this team.

But, worry no more LeBron, reinforcements are finally on their way.

According to two reports – one by Yahoo Sports (first) and then later by ESPN – it appears that Isaiah Thomas, at the earliest, is returning in January, eliminating the potential Christmas debut rumor that was floating around over the last few weeks.

"[via ESPN]A source close to Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Isaiah 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."

It should be noted that neither the Cavaliers nor Isaiah Thomas have verified either report. And Thomas even took to Twitter to mock such reports.

Take that how you’d like.

Nevertheless, at the earliest, expect Thomas to make his season debut in January. I’m not sure if Thomas is eyeing a return before or later than that. Either way, it’s clear that he’s not happy about a public timeline, for whatever reason.

The bottom line is that help is on the way for the Cavs, which has to be considered music to the ears of LeBron. At the age of 32, LeBron is playing 37.4 minutes per night. To put that number into context, LeBron is averaging the second-most minutes per game in the NBA. At 32, that’s insane.

Isaiah Thomas’ return will not only take some pressure of LeBron in the headlines, but it could also open the door for a less workload minutes-wise.

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