CLEVELAND (AP) — Kyrie Irving has returned to the lineup for the Cavaliers. Their new guards are on hold.
Irving will start Wednesday night against Houston after missing one game with a sore lower back. Irving took part in Cleveland’s morning shootaround and said afterward that a few days of rest and rehab helped.
“Obviously, it’s not going to go away in two days,” he said. “But we did the best we could do with rehab and a lot of treatment.”
The Cavs, who have dropped six of eight and lost to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, are still without superstar LeBron James. He’s missed the past five games with a knee and back strain and may be out at least another week. James was not at Quicken Loans Arena for the shootaround.
As the Cavs wait for the game’s best player to get healthy, the team welcomed newly acquired guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, who were acquired from the New York Knicks a three-team trade that sent guard Dion Waiters from Cleveland to Oklahoma City. Both Smith and Shumpert, who is currently sidelined with a dislocated left shoulder, were present at the shootaround but were not allowed to participate.
The Cavs said the deal has not been officially finalized, and Smith and Shumpert were not permitted to speak with the media.
Irving said he has not yet spoken to Waiters and felt bad he didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to his teammate. Irving did not make the trip to Philadelphia, where Waiters took part in pregame warmups before he was pulled from the starting lineup while the Cavs tried to complete the trade.
“To see one of my brothers go like that, it’s heartfelt,” said Irving, who spent two-plus seasons with Waiters. “I wish him the best. He’s truly a talent and I’m just happy he’s in a situation he can thrive on. I’m happy he’s happy and I hope he does well in OKC.”
The Cavs acquired Smith to help their bench production. The league’s Sixth Man of The Year in 2013, Smith will provide scoring and another weapon to put around James.
Shumpert, whose defense is his calling card, will be out at least two more weeks, but the Cavs are excited about what the duo can bring.
“Shump, when he gets healthy, he can give us another dynamic, especially on the defensive end,” said center Kevin Love. “He’s a guy who has size and you can match him up with several different players out there on the perimeter.
“J.R, he can put up points in a hurry. He’s a guy that can supplement into the lineup, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench,” Love said. “It gives us tremendous firepower, which is something that we need. So it’s the best of both worlds with those guys.”
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