Isaiah Thomas Says He Should Be Ready for Camp as Hip Injury Feels Great

Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas said his hip is doing "great" and he expects to be ready for training camp in September.

"The hip is great," Thomas told the Boston Herald's Stephen Hewitt on Saturday. "It's going well. Rehabbing it, but it's going well. It's a real slow rehab process, but it's getting better, and that's what it's all about."

Thomas, 28, is rehabbing from a torn labrum and femoroacetabular impingement in his right hip. He first suffered the injury during the regular season and then aggravated it in Game 2 of the Celtics' Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While surgery was an option, Thomas and the team decided rest was the best approach. He said the hip "reacted well," and he's begun a training regimen that should get him back in shape for camp.

"That's the plan, yeah," Thomas said. "I should be ready by camp, but I'm getting back in the gym, shooting and being able to work out in the weight room and get my cardio back, because I've been down for two-and-a-half months since the season ended. It's getting there, though. This week has been great progress for me."

Thomas averaged 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game last season, earning his second straight All-Star berth and making the All-NBA second team. Boston earned the East's No. 1 seed but lost in five games to Cleveland in the conference finals.

The Celtics should be even more formidable this season after they signed Gordon Hayward in free agency and selected Jayson Tatum with the third overall pick in the June draft. Add in the Cavs' internal discord, and LeBron James' near-decadelong stranglehold on the East appears to be weakening.

Of course, for Boston to assume the throne, Thomas will likely need to be fully healthy. He is the engine that ignites the offense, and he could be even more important in 2017-18 since the Celtics lost depth to facilitate the Hayward signing.