By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
One full year after tearing his left ACL, Ricky Rubio has been cleared for 5-on-5 practice and is close to playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I would expect him, if things go the right way, sometime early next month,” head coach J. B. Bickerstaff projected the season debut of the Spanish point guard, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic, “So we’re definitely progressing in the right direction.”
Rubio, 32, was traded to the Indiana Pacers two months after suffering the season-ending injury. During the offseason, he rejoined the Cavs by signing a three-year, $18 million contract as an unrestricted free agent.
Currently sitting at 22-13 in the 2022-23 NBA Regular Season, the Cleveland franchise is in a similar situation, compared to this point of the 2021-22 NBA Regular season. The veteran point guard was a key player in the 20-13 start to the previous season.
In the rehab process, the Cavaliers restrained from rushing his return to action. The progress made finally surfaces a timeline of sorts. And the team is set to receive a huge boost in seeking more wins down the stretch of the Regular Season.
Rubio, the fifth overall selection of the 2009 NBA draft is set to launch his 12th campaign in the league and second in a row as a member of the Cavaliers, following stints at the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns. Recently talking about his future, he predicted two or three more seasons remaining in his NBA run.
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