CLEVELAND: Guard Anthony Parker is hopeful he can return to the practice floor this week and return to games next week.
Parker has missed 2½ weeks with a strained back that continues to flare every time he has tried to increase activity.
“It’d feel better and we’d get aggressive and do something [strenuous], and it’d go back to feeling like the first time I injured it,” Parker said. “I’d most liken it to a hamstring or groin injury. It starts to feel better, then you do something and really feel it.”
Parker is averaging six points and 2.4 rebounds, but the game Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers was the eighth consecutive one he has missed because of his back. It’s an issue that forced him to miss time last season, too.
Cavs coach Byron Scott wants Parker to get some shots up during practice today, ease into some noncontact drills during a practice during the weekend and perhaps return to the court next week. The Cavs have games against the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons next Tuesday and Wednesday, then break for a week for All-Star weekend.
In a worst-case scenario, Parker seems destined to return after the All-Star break.
“He’s definitely making progress,” Scott said. “Hopefully next week he’ll be back on the floor.”
Kyrie Irving returns
Kyrie Irving didn’t even know the NBA had a concussion policy until he found himself thrust into the center of it.
Irving said Wednesday that he had a bad headache after the Cavs’ loss to the Miami Heat last week and woke up the next day with a worse one. He told the team trainers, was examined again and doctors diagnosed his concussion. It started Irving down a path of physical tests and mental exams that concluded with the team and league clearing him Wednesday morning and allowing him to return to the court.
“He probably won’t ever complain of a headache again,” Scott joked. “Just going through everything and getting his shots up, it seemed like he was back to normal.”
Irving will have a busy All-Star break next weekend since he is competing in the Rising Stars Challenge, better known as the rookie/sophomore game, so he used the last week off to serve as his pseudo All-Star break.
“I kind of took it as a break. It couldn’t have come at a better time,” Irving said. “I feel fresh and it feels good to get back out there.”
All-Star plans
Samardo Samuels attended the All-Star events last season as a fan. This year, he has more important business to handle.
Samuels will travel to the Bahamas over the All-Star break in order to get new copies of his passport, American and Canadian work visas. Samuels lost the documents during the NBA lockout and was unable to fly to Toronto for a game earlier this season.
He initially thought he would have to go to Ottawa to get the required papers, but Samuels was afraid he wouldn’t get them in time for the Cavs’ next game in Toronto on April 6. By going to the Bahamas, he’ll have the documents in time.
“This has been a big pain,” Samuels said. “If I’d have known this was going to be this big of a deal, I would’ve taped them to my arm.”
Numbers game
Now that Irving is back and healthy, Ben Uzoh must wait to see if the Cavs will offer him another 10-day contract or allow him to return to the NBA Development League.
The Cavs initially signed Uzoh because they needed another point guard. His initial contract will expire during the weekend, leaving the Cavs with a decision to make. Scott said they haven’t discussed what they’ll do, but he doesn’t mind carrying three point guards.
Scott praised Uzoh this week for how quickly he has grasped the Cavs’ system. Uzoh credited his time with the New Jersey Nets last season for that and said most of the sets are standard across the NBA, it’s the terminology that’s different.
“I take that seriously as a point guard, just picking up the plays and learning on the fly,” Uzoh said. “As a pro, you have to be able to do that.”
He hoisted three shots in his first seven seconds on the court during the loss Saturday to the Philadelphia 76ers, something the coaching staff noticed during the following film session.
“In my situation, my job is to get somebody’s attention,” Uzoh said. “I think I did that.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at http://cavs.ohio.com Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
