Atkinson provides update on Caris LeVert’s injury

LeVert is nearing a return with the Cavs.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert will be missing his fourth straight game with a knee injury on Wednesday when the Cavs take on the Atlanta Hawks. The injury is in the same knee that forced him to miss the end of the series against the Boston Celtics and took most of the off-season to fully heal.

According to Atkinson, LeVert is ramping up activity on the court which could mean he’s available to return soon.

“I watched him work out today, he went hard today, whatever that means,” Atkinson said. “I don’t want to give a date or a time, but it seems like he’s ramping up pretty quick here. I would assume he’s ready within the next week.”

It’s fair to question whether this is an injury that will linger considering this injury is in the same leg as the one that was injured last spring. Atkinson said he wasn’t able to properly answer whether or not this is a long-term concern for LeVert.

“I do know, like a lot of NBA players, he’s got nicks,” Atkinson said. “He’s a start-and-stop kind of player, like, decelerate, hard cutter. He’s definitely hard on his body. But I don’t anticipate it being a huge thing. I think it’s a little more wear and tear than, oh man, we got to worry about this thing long term.”

LeVert has had one of the best seasons of his career. He’s averaging 11.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.9 assists per game on .534/.458/.750 shooting splits.