Isaiah Thomas
Dec 17, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas reacts against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena. USA TODAY Sports / Brad Mills

All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas will make his season debut on Tuesday when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Portland Trail Blazers at the Quicken Loans Arena. Thomas, nursing a hip injury for nearly a year, arrived in Cavaliers ahead of the 2017-18 season as part of the blockbuster Kyrie Irving trade.

Despite the injury to Thomas, the Cavaliers (24-11) own the third best record in the Eastern Conference and are odds-on favourites to return to the NBA Finals for a fourth consecutive year. In Thomas' absence, LeBron James has taken up additional ball-handling duties while veteran Jose Calderon has been starting at the point guard position.

According to ESPN, Thomas wanted to make his season debut against the Sacramento Kings on this week. However, the Cavaliers weren't ready to play Thomas until a few more full-court scrimmages.

"I tried to do that in Sac. didn't work. So, I thought I could do that. I tried it in Sac and they shut me down, and I was upset about it, but I mean they're looking out for what's best. Not just for this team, but for myself; and not just this season, but my career. So I can't thank them enough for putting me in that position," Thomas said before a Cavs practice session on Friday.

Isaiah Thomas likely to play Tuesday against Portland

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue has said that the team will hold another scrimmage at practice on New Years' Day before taking a call on Thomas' availability on Tuesday. "We'll get another good scrimmage for him and play and see how he plays, see how he recovers today after the scrimmage, see if there's any soreness or anything," Lue said. "But for the most part, he looked good."

Lue acknowledged that Thomas' addition would be a huge boost for the Cavaliers. "We want him back. We need him back. We need a guy who can run pick-and-roll, can score the basketball, can get to the free throw line, can play with pace, can get into the paint. We need that. We're excited about him. He's very close. I understand how it feels to want to play, and the medical staff is saying he just needs a little bit more time. He has to be patient, I have to be patient, the players have to be patient."

During the offseason, the Boston Celtics acquired Kyrie Irving from Cleveland in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick. The Celtics are currently the No. 1 team in the East with a record of 29-10. Thomas averaged a career-high stat line of 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game last season and led the Boston Celtics to the top seed in the East.