According to head coach Kenny Atkinson, that time may be sooner rather than later based on Garland ramping up his on-court work.
“He did some five-on-five [activities] today with the extra work group,” Atkinson said of Garland before Tuesday’s preseason game against the Detroit Pistons. “It was live, so it was very short.”
Even though the session was short, it was encouraging nonetheless. Practicing full-contact in five-on-five drills is an important part of the recovery process. How the team proceeds next will depend on how Garland’s toe responds to Tuesday’s activity.
“Let’s see what tomorrow looks like,” Atkinson said. “What does recovery look like?”
The Cavs know from experience that toe injuries aren’t anything to rush back from.
“We know that this is not an easy injury to come back from,” Atkinson said. “You see what happens in the NFL with this injury, it’s not linear usually in the return to performance. We’re hoping that it will be, and he’ll progress. But I side on the side of being conservative and making sure that this is a good step today. A small step, but a good step.”
The Cavaliers open up their season in just over a week as they take on the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Their home opener is Sunday, Oct. 26, against the Milwaukee Bucks.