Overview
- Allen was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice, his first on-court work since a near two-week shutdown for a strained finger on his right hand.
- The step is viewed internally as a positive indicator for potential availability in Friday’s road game against the Wizards.
- He first hurt the finger on November 19, tried to play with a protective splint on November 28, then was re-shut down when catching, dribbling and shooting proved too difficult.
- Sam Merrill did not practice with a sprained right hand; swelling is easing, but he still cannot shoot or catch and remains limited to left-handed drills and conditioning in what coaches describe as a slow-healing, non-structural issue.
- Using the NBA Cup break, the Cavs held an uncomfortable film review and a defense-focused practice, with an offense-oriented session set for Wednesday as coaches explore rotation tweaks to cover missing connector skills.