LeBron James fully practices for first time since tweaking left ankle, could play Friday vs. Pacers
"We'll see how he feels after going through practice today," Lue said.
It would be the Cavs first test of their new-look starting lineup of Kevin Love, Jae Crowder, J.R. Smith and Derrick Rose flanking James.The four-time MVP has been sidelined since stepping on the foot of Cavs rookie Cedi Osman in the second day of training camp. Osman, who has been dealing with back spasms, will be given the Pacers game off to rest after shouldering a heavier workload than expected in Wednesday's 109-93 preseason loss to the Atlanta Hawks after filling in for the injured Iman Shumpert.
"It's his first game so he's going to be excited," Lue said of Osman who had six points on 2-for-6 shooting, two rebounds, two assists, two turnovers and three fouls in his debut. "Wants to play well and I thought he did a good job, especially missing a couple practices and being off for a couple days. To come in and play the way he did, I was very pleased with it. He's going to make some mistakes and that's part of it. But as a player, I love his approach. I love what he does. He's only going to continue to get better."
Shumpert injured his left foot after landing awkwardly following a dunk attempt in the first quarter against Atlanta. He was examined by Cavs team physicians Thursday and underwent an MRI that confirmed a left foot sprain. He is expected to return to play in 7-10 days, per the Cavs, effectively ending his preseason. Cleveland's final preseason game is Oct. 13th on the road against the Orlando Magic.
"We'll see," Lue said of Shumpert. "We'll see how he feels. He always heals pretty good. He heals faster than anyone I've ever seen. We'll just see how he feels."
Author: Dave McMenamin, ESPN
Source: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20925514/lebron-james-goes-full-practice-thursday-tweaking-ankle-last-week-play-friday
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