Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith, on target for a mid-March return, could take the court in as soon as three weeks in his comeback from a right thumb injury, league sources told ESPN.
The sharpshooter is progressing expeditiously in his recovery from a fractured right thumb he sustained in late December, sources said. Barring an unforeseen setback, Smith will be back on the floor next month.
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At the time of the injury, one source described Smith’s thumb as “shattered,” and Smith was not anticipated to be back in the lineup until late March or early April.
A team source told ESPN that Smith will have his right thumb re-imaged during the All-Star break, which could adjust his timeline. Asked to characterize Smith’s rehab process so far, the source said, “great.”
Smith is shooting with the injured hand without severe pain, sources said. He is in the process of strengthening the wrist and thumb area along with trying to get his conditioning up to speed, a source said.
Assuming Smith is able to return by mid-March, he would have roughly 16 games to regain his form before the Cavaliers’ postseason run begins.
Since Smith’s injury, the team has acquired marksman Kyle Korver in a trade from the Atlanta Hawks and signed wing Derrick Williams to a 10-day contract, giving LeBron James a plethora of shooters at his disposal.
Smith, a 13-year veteran, signed a four-year, $57 million extension with Cleveland in the offseason after the Cavs’ Finals win. He is averaging 8.6 points per game on 33.7 percent shooting from the field and 36.2 percent from beyond the arc.
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