INDEPENDENCE: The time that Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue has long awaited, and with it the decisions that he’s been agonizing over, are nearly upon him.
Barring something unforeseen, the Cavs’ roster will soon be whole.
Kevin Love and Kyle Korver both participated in Wednesday’s 20-minute practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts and Love put himself through a sweat-drenching 30-minute workout with the coaching staff afterward.
Neither Love nor Korver have been cleared to play, but both seem likely to return soon.
Love has been sidelined since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Feb. 14. Korver missed his fourth consecutive game Tuesday with an inflamed tendon in his left foot.
“He was moving good,” Lue said of Korver. “He said he’s feeling better the last few days, so that’s a good sign.”
General Manager David Griffin said Tuesday he expects Love to return on the upcoming four-game road trip, which opens Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers and ends March 24 at the Charlotte Hornets. The Cavs host the Utah Jazz on Thursday before heading to the West Coast.
The Cavs are 7-6 without Love, but the four-time All-Star didn’t want to make that correlation.
“Kyle’s out, I’m out, Swish just coming back, those little things take time,” Love said. “Seven and six, I think things only look up from here.”
Love was hesitant to give a date for when he expects to play.
“I’d love to be back in front of our fans, obviously, when I come back,” Love said. “But that will happen, whether it’s tomorrow or after this trip. I’d like to be back by this weekend, but I just don’t know if I’ll get in [this week] or next week. I imagine at the very latest after we come back, but I don’t think it will be that long.”
Love traveled with the team on a three-game road trip to Detroit, Orlando and Houston, which only made him more anxious to return.
“As you can see just a little winded ... but other than that I feel good,” he said. “Just have to get my legs underneath me and let that adrenaline pass whenever I go out there.
“We haven’t played our best basketball lately, but there’s a good energy around the team. That’s why I talk about the adrenaline. I’m 28 years old, I feel like I’m just coming into the league again because I’m so antsy to get back.”
Lue said unlike J.R. Smith, a starter who has been with the second unit since his March 9 return from December surgery on his fractured right thumb, Love will move into the lineup immediately.
“When we get our whole team back, then that’s when I’ll probably start J.R. and Kevin together and get our whole rotation back, get our whole team back,” Lue said.
But other than that, there is much to decide.
“It’s been on my mind a lot lately as far as rotations, who’s going to play with who,” Lue said. “Of course when Kevin comes back he’s probably going to have a minutes restriction. Probably going to be tired. Probably going to be certain points of the game where you’ve got to take him out and you don’t want to.
“There’s going to be some adjustment period, but we’ll get through it. But the biggest thing for me is just getting everybody back healthy so we can start taking off like we’re supposed to.”
When Love returns, Richard Jefferson might sacrifice the most. He’s started five of eight games in March and averaged 9.5 points (his highest of any month this season) in 25.6 minutes. Lue said that shouldn’t be an issue for Jefferson, 36.
“I don’t think he wants to play that many minutes,” Lue said of Jefferson. “Ever since he got his wrist together he’s been shooting the ball phenomenal, been one of our defensive stoppers. Giving him 32, 33 minutes is a lot for him at his age, but that’s all we had at the time. [With] Kevin coming back, he’ll get back to his normal role, which I think he’ll like.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.