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Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving and power forward Kevin Love, both still recovering from injuries, are unsure when they will fully return to the court. The Cavs announced in late April that Love's recovery time to repair a dislocated left shoulder was 4-6 months. Love missed most of the Cavs' run to the NBA Finals after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the playoffs.
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Irving, who sustained a fractured knee cap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, was expected to need 3-4 months to recover.
Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said there is not a definitive timeline and there is no rush to get both stars back for games.
"Because we've had so many guys who are coming back from surgeries and guys who are overcoming injuries, you're going to see us bring those guys along very slowly, very intentionally," Griffin said. "I would not reach too much into the appearances that those guys make or don't make in the preseason. This is not something we have an aggressive timetable for any of our guys who are returning.
"I want to see where everybody progresses day by day now. We have reason to believe that all of our guys are going to be participating in camp throughout. But what that sounds like is a definite return-to-play. I wouldn't guesstimate that right now."
The Cavaliers are favorites to repeat as Eastern Conference champions, assuming they have a healthy Love and Irving.
"We have all the pieces, mentalities and characteristics -- whatever you want to call it -- that has the making of a championship-caliber team. You saw that last year," the 27-year-old Love said, adding his "shoulder is great."
"I'll be limited, starting with the pad, getting hit, getting used to it. I've had scar tissued built up in there, but that will wither away quickly," Love said. "I've put in a lot of work in the offseason to get my full range of motion back and also build my strength back. I feel really good."
Irving spent much of his summer rehabbing his knee and admitted it hasn't been easy.
"It hurt a lot," Irving said. "Repairing or getting back from any knee injury is going to take a lot of physical and mental will. So it's testing, but not anything I can't handle."
The 23-year-old Irving didn't participate in the team portion of Monday's workout, but Cavs coach David Blatt said Irving did some work on the side.
"Kyrie is in a different point right now," Blatt said. "As far as his progression is concerned, his progress is going to be on a whole different scale."
Blatt said of Love: "Kevin is still on limitation as far as that is concerned. We will do our progressions with him and gradually ramp that up. But he's not at that point right at this moment."
