Ricky Rubio to meet with Cavaliers doctors soon, still no official timeline for return
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- About 45 minutes before tipoff, after his teammates vacate the court, injured guard Ricky Rubio conducts an individual workout under the watchful eyes of some of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ developmental coaches. The one-on-one workout lasts nearly 30 minutes and consists of a variety of maneuvers -- long-range movement shooting, in-the-paint finishes through contact, simulated pick-and-rolls, off-the-ball cutting, floaters, mid-range jumpers, odd-angled bank-shots.
That’s become Rubio’s nightly routine. It’s his new normal. At least, for now, at this stage of recovery.
Rubio suffered a torn left ACL on Dec. 28, 2021. He had surgery shortly after -- the second time in his career undergoing an ACL reconstruction on that knee. Typically, the injury carries a 10–12-month recovery timeline, but numerous factors play into that.
While the on-court workouts -- after practice and shootaround, and before games -- are an encouraging sign of progress, they also show how much further Rubio needs to go before debuting.
“We have not put a specific date, but he is continuing to take steps,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said ahead of Monday’s 100-88 loss to the Raptors. “He has a doctor’s appointment coming up soon to see how everything is healing and where he is at from that standpoint.”
If Rubio gets the go-ahead from team docs, he will ramp up his activity, advancing to 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 while testing that surgically repaired knee in a more physical, demanding environment. The Cavs will also want him to have a handful of contact practices before returning to game action. Finding consistent practice time can be a challenge given the tightly packed schedule.
“Everything is progressing well,” Bickerstaff said. “Just a matter of proper healing and time before he comes back and plays.”
This week is the 11-month mark since Rubio suffered the damaging injury, which led to him being flipped for Caris LeVert at last season’s trade deadline. If Rubio, who rejoined Cleveland as a free agent this offseason, is attempting to come back about a year removed from surgery, that would mean returning around late December or early January.
Sources say the Cavs are not going to rush him back. They understand the stark difference between workout shape and game shape and want to make sure he’s fully ready before his first NBA appearance since last year.
In the meantime, as Rubio remains sidelined, he continues to find other ways to add value. His leadership has been important.
“He’s just always telling me to stay level-headed, don’t get too high, don’t get too low,” All-Star point guard Darius Garland said of Rubio’s advice. “He sees a lot of things that I probably don’t see while I’m on the floor. He will just come to me and tell me what he sees, and I try to fix it during the game. It’s super helpful. Ricky has been doing that since he came here -- even when he was playing. I love it.”
