J.B. Bickerstaff: Ricky Rubio’s Torn ACL Rehab ‘Progressing in the Right Direction’

Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff gave an injury news update on Ricky Rubio’s rehab from the season-ending torn ACL he suffered last year, revealing that Rubio could come back in January.

“I would expect him, if things go the right way, sometime early next month,” Bickerstaff said. “So we’re definitely progressing in the right direction.”

Rubio was averaging a career-best 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 36.3 percent shooting from the field and 33.9 percent from beyond the arc when he suffered the injury on Dec. 28. At the time, Rubio played a significant role in Cleveland’s massive turnaround to becoming a play-in tournament participant.

As a veteran point guard, Rubio helped Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen become All-Stars. The positive impact he had was so palpable that after he got traded to Indiana for Caris LeVert, Cleveland re-signed him over the summer to a three-year pact despite Rubio missing a chunk of time rehabbing his knee.