Ricky Rubio hopeful for his return in December: 'I will be back with 120 percent' / News - Basketnews.com

Ricky Rubio is hoping for December to return to the Cavaliers. Rubio says he had the best summer he ever felt in his career.

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio, who suffered a torn left ACL last December, is hopeful he can return to action this December, but won't put a timetable on it.

Ricard Rubio

Position:PGAge:31Height:193 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:Barcelona, SpainProfileNewsStatistics

"I wanted to be ready for training camp but I knew it was impossible," Rubio said at a media day presser. "Talking with my trainers and medical staff, they say 10-12 months but it's a long range. It changes every week. At the end of the day, putting a date on it, for me personally, I need it. But I think it's not good to put a date when I'm going to be back."

"I have been working hard this summer, putting in a lot of work," he continued. "Let's see how it goes the next two or three weeks, working on some parts with the team and then see how my mind and my body connect together to really go back out there and play again.

The contact part is going to be the most important to see where I'm at. I'm going to take my time. I'm going to go step by step. Don't skip any phases in this process because we have been working hard in this process to get where I want to be."

Rubio returned to Cleveland on a three-year, $18.4 million contract this off-season.

Sources tell cleveland.com that Rubio has looked "better than expected" at this point and each visit with team doctors has been positive. Still, the organization won't rush him back.

"We have a plan to come back stronger and I'm reaching there. I feel I had the best summer I ever felt in my career," Rubio said before getting pressed on a general return-to-play timeline. "I wish I knew. Hopefully December, but who knows? At the end of the day, I may be playing in late November or I may be playing in January or February. Don't want to put a date. But one thing for sure when I'm back I will be 120 percent."

"Very happy to have him back," long-time teammate Kevin Love said of Rubio. "He's a guy I've been friends with, stayed in touch with, been close to in this league for such a long time. He's a guy that really was the one that encompassed everything we were about last year."

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