Cleveland Cavaliers Get Encouraging Injury News On Key Players

Cleveland Cavaliers guards Isaac Okoro and Sam Merrill were full participants in practice on Tuesday.

Feb 25, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) dribbles up the court during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers may have the best record in the NBA, but they have still suffered from their fair share of injuries to the roster.

The most recent players working their way back include Isaac Okoro and Sam Merrill. Thankfully, both players are progressing well and could return to the floor sooner rather than later.

"[Isaac] and Sam had a great practice today," said head coach Kenny Atkinson on Tuesday afternoon.

"Full contract, full on. Let's see what the returns are on both of them because they both are evaluation injuries. Like, we've got to check them tomorrow during the shoot around and see if it's a go and see how they respond to today. But today, we went live, and they were in every live drill, and they didn't sit out or anything.

While Atkinson doesn't promise anything, it does sound like Okoro or Merrill could make an appearance against the Oklahoma City Thunder if all goes well leading up to the game.

Getting Okoro back against the Thunder would especially be a boost for the Cavaliers team.

Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best scorers in the NBA and is averaging 31.3 points, shooting 52.4 percent from the floor and 36 percent from behind the arc. There's a reason he's the frontrunner for league MVP.

Okoro is easily Cleveland's best perimeter defender and would be tasked with guarding SGA in a matchup.

Having a healthy Okoro on the floor would give the Cavaliers a better idea of where they stand in terms of the best teams in the NBA.