Celtics' Thomas: Hip feels 'great,' will be ready for start of training camp

Good ol' fashioned rest and rehab is working wonders for Isaiah Thomas' right hip, which the Boston Celtics All-Star aggravated during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, forcing him to miss the remainder of the series.

"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 opted not to go under the knife for a right femoral-acetabular impingement and torn labrum, first suffered during the end of the regular season and then worsened in the playoffs.

He was advised by team doctors and specialists to avoid surgery, which could have easily extended his recovery time. Now, Thomas is working under the impression that he'll be close to 100 percent, if not fully there, for the start of training camp.

"That’s the plan, yeah," said Thomas. "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 had a breakout campaign for the first-place Celtics, averaging a career-high 28.9 points (third in NBA), 5.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 76 games.