Basketball: Irving, Shumpert close to returning

Cavs guard Kyrie Irving. Photo: Getty Images
Cavs guard Kyrie Irving. Photo: Getty Images

The highly anticipated returns of Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert may now be days away.

Both injured guards could play on the Cavaliers' upcoming road trip, coach David Blatt said.

The Cavs play at the Orlando Magic on Friday (US time) and at the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

Both players went through a full practice again today and will accompany the team on the trip.

Blatt said "there is a chance" one or both could play and how they feel at Friday's shootaround will partly determine their status.

"It's a day-to-day thing with both of them," Blatt said.

"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."

Blatt has maintained the last couple of weeks that Shumpert is slightly ahead of Irving in the recovery process.

Both Irving and Shumpert have participated in at least three full practices. Most players coming off injuries are back in games by that point, but Blatt said this isn't a typical case.

"Both of them are coming back from pretty serious injuries," Blatt said. "But they are progressing."

Blatt hasn't determined whether Shumpert will immediately return to the starting lineup once he returns.

Neither guard has appeared in a game this season and their returns are expected to jump-start a team that has slipped in recent weeks.

The Cavs are just 6-6 in their last 12 games and have struggled at times on the perimeter defensively. Their absence has also forced players like LeBron James to carry a heavier load.

James has played at least 40 minutes in each of the last two games he appeared in and his 44 minutes in an overtime game against the New Orleans Hornets forced him out of the lineup the next night at Miami.

While James' minutes for the season remain among the lowest of his career, they have been creeping up in recent games while the Cavs try to pull out of this funk.

Blatt conceded there are times he cringes afterward when he sees how many minutes James has played, but part of it is out of necessity given the roster limitations. That should change when Irving and Shumpert return.

James, for his part, doesn't mind the heavier load. James spoke up early last season when he thought he was playing too many minutes, but doesn't feel that way now.

"You guys [the media] have harped about my minutes. I haven't. I haven't really talked about it," James said.

"You guys have made it a big point. I feel great. 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."

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