Report: Kyrie Irving cleared to resume strength training

Injured Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving has been cleared for unrestricted weight-bearing activities, according to Cleveland.com's Chris Haynes.

The development is viewed as a significant hurdle in building back leg strength as Irving rehabilitates from a fractured left kneecap suffered in June's NBA Finals. Once he as attained equal strength in both legs, he will be cleared to practice without restrictions - something he will need to do for one week without setbacks before he is given the green light to play.

On Thursday, Cavs coach David Blatt told reporters that Irving has "a ways to go" in his recovery. At the same time, previous reports have indicated that Irving's rehab could be accelerated rapidly if it were necessary. The fact is however, the Cavaliers are in no rush to bring their All-Star point guard back, preferring to conserve his legs for a deep playoff run.

Cleveland hasn't missed a beat, as the Cavs sit atop the Eastern Conference standings at 8-1 going into Saturday. Mo Williams has held down the starting point-guard spot admirably, averaging 16.9 points and 5.2 assists on a career-high 49.5 percent field-goal percentage, albeit only nine games into the season.