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All I have to say is: stay healthy! 
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Return to practice of Semih Erden intrigues coach Byron Scott: Cavaliers Insider
Published: Monday, January 02, 2012, 6:44 PM
Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- As far as the Cavaliers are concerned, Semih Erden is a 7-foot question mark.
Since being obtained from the Boston Celtics at the trading deadline about 10 months ago, Erden has played in four games, making one start, and averaging 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16 minutes a game.
He missed 19 Cavs games last season with a strained right adductor and a sore right heel, then had shoulder surgery. He showed up for training camp with a broken right thumb suffered while playing for his native Turkey over the summer.
So it was good news for the Cavs when Erden returned to practice on Monday at Cleveland Clinic Courts.
"He did the whole practice," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "He looked OK, a little winded. Obviously he doesn't have the offense down pat, but for the first time out he looked pretty good. He's still got a ways to go."
Though Scott cautioned that there was no timetable for Erden's activation -- he will not be available for Tuesday's game against visiting Charlotte -- it's not completely out of the question that he could be available during the upcoming seven-game, 13-day trip that starts on Wednesday at Toronto.
Looking ahead, Scott figures the Cavs' next practice could be at Portland on Saturday. "We'll evaluate him again then and see how he is," Scott said of Erden.
The coach said right now it's too early to get a good read on the big man.
"He still makes basketball plays when he's out there," Scott said. "He's got a good basketball sense, a good basketball IQ. But he still needs repetition, especially on the offensive end. Five-on-zero is one thing, but five-on-five is totally different. He needs as much five-on-five as he can get right now."
As the only legitimate center on the roster, Erden could be a valuable commodity as a backup to starter Anderson Varejao. Samardo Samuels has been inconsistent in that role, really struggling against New Jersey on Sunday, and Ryan Hollins has played in only one of the first four games.
Scott admitted he's eager to see Erden.
"When we got him, he had a couple of injuries," Scott said. "We tried to get those all taken care of and tried to get him on the floor as healthy as possible but he kind of re-injured some of those things.
"I think we're all pretty anxious to see him at full strength, [when he's] able to get out there and play on the basketball floor just to see what we have."
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Return to practice of Semih Erden intrigues coach Byron Scott: Cavaliers Insider
Published: Monday, January 02, 2012, 6:44 PM
Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- As far as the Cavaliers are concerned, Semih Erden is a 7-foot question mark.
Since being obtained from the Boston Celtics at the trading deadline about 10 months ago, Erden has played in four games, making one start, and averaging 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16 minutes a game.
He missed 19 Cavs games last season with a strained right adductor and a sore right heel, then had shoulder surgery. He showed up for training camp with a broken right thumb suffered while playing for his native Turkey over the summer.
So it was good news for the Cavs when Erden returned to practice on Monday at Cleveland Clinic Courts.
"He did the whole practice," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "He looked OK, a little winded. Obviously he doesn't have the offense down pat, but for the first time out he looked pretty good. He's still got a ways to go."
Though Scott cautioned that there was no timetable for Erden's activation -- he will not be available for Tuesday's game against visiting Charlotte -- it's not completely out of the question that he could be available during the upcoming seven-game, 13-day trip that starts on Wednesday at Toronto.
Looking ahead, Scott figures the Cavs' next practice could be at Portland on Saturday. "We'll evaluate him again then and see how he is," Scott said of Erden.
The coach said right now it's too early to get a good read on the big man.
"He still makes basketball plays when he's out there," Scott said. "He's got a good basketball sense, a good basketball IQ. But he still needs repetition, especially on the offensive end. Five-on-zero is one thing, but five-on-five is totally different. He needs as much five-on-five as he can get right now."
As the only legitimate center on the roster, Erden could be a valuable commodity as a backup to starter Anderson Varejao. Samardo Samuels has been inconsistent in that role, really struggling against New Jersey on Sunday, and Ryan Hollins has played in only one of the first four games.
Scott admitted he's eager to see Erden.
"When we got him, he had a couple of injuries," Scott said. "We tried to get those all taken care of and tried to get him on the floor as healthy as possible but he kind of re-injured some of those things.
"I think we're all pretty anxious to see him at full strength, [when he's] able to get out there and play on the basketball floor just to see what we have."
