Kyrie Irving continues to sit it out for the Cleveland Cavaliers, although the ball club is surviving thanks to the efforts of Mo Williams and Matthew Dellavedova.
With the season still in the early stages, the efforts of Williams and Dellavedova to step up have somehow eased the pressure on Irving, who is trying to make a complete recovery after undergoing surgery on his knee cap.
There is belief that Irving will likely return by early 2016, and such has better chances of happening now with word that Cavs' star point guard has been given medical clearance to indulge in "intensive weight-bearing activities," as reported by Chris Haynes of Cleaveland.com.
This means that Irving can start some leg strengthening exercises, which is a good sign and prerequisite before he can actually rejoin his teammates. But that could still take more time and the Cavs are in no rush to push him to rejoin the team prematurely after last year's debacle that saw him and Kevin Love go down to season-ending injuries.
Those instances came at the crucial stages at that, and their absence told heavily on the Cavs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals. LeBron James did take it up a notch for the Cavs, but the fact remained that James could not do it all on his own.
This year, the Cavs made it clear that they will be keeping close watch on their players as they try to focus on keeping them healthy, particularly for the playoffs.
Irving could return by January, but a lot of it will depend on the next updates concerning his knee cap. If not, Cavs fans may have to wait a bit longer until Uncle Drew can return to full active duty.
The Cavs are targeting their first NBA title this season and so far, they seem to be on track. But then again, the real test will come in the postseason games when Cleveland can already have Irving back playing and at full force.
