After years of being lost in the wilderness of the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers are finally playoff contenders again.
They are the 5th team in their conference with a 26-16 record and are being led by a wonderful roster consisting of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and others.
They have been unquestionably terrific for most of the season and they’ve done so without one of their favorite players: Ricky Rubio.
ESPN Sources: After a full year of rehabilitating an ACL tear in his left knee, Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio is targeting a return against the Trail Blazers on Thursday. Rubio will practice today, and if all goes well, play in Portland tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/wB5RzNhRdy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 11, 2023
But their time without Rubio is coming to an end.
Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Rubio is about to return to the court after more than a year of rehabilitation due to an ACL tear in his left knee.
According to Woj, Rubio is going to practice on Wednesday and, if all goes well, he will play in Portland against the Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
This is something that fans of the team have been eagerly awaiting for months now.
Rubio is no longer a starter and his injuries are sometimes numerous but he brings a special mix of expertise, personality, and energy that is exactly what the Cavs need.
He only played in 34 games last season before an injury took him to the sidelines.
He was actually then traded away from the Cavaliers but ironically ended up back with the team before the season began.
When he does come back, he will most certainly be limited in terms of minutes and will definitely be a bench player.
But he has proven that he can be a very clutch bench player.
Rubio has a career average of 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists but we may not see him producing numbers like that again.
Still, Cavaliers faithful are excited to see the man they call Rickycesto return.
NEXT: Donovan Mitchell Is Comparable To An NBA Legend