Steph Curry and Lonzo Ball
Steph Curry (left) was sidelined with a sprained ankle Dec. 4, 2017, while Lonzo Ball (right) was ruled out with a sprained left shoulder Dec. 23. 2017. Getty Images

Though their return appears to be imminent, some notable NBA players have been sidelined in December due to injuries.

Among them is Cleveland Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas (hip), who could finally make his debut in the coming days despite being officially ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings.

Acquired from the Boston Celtics in August, Thomas has yet to play for the Cavaliers. But the 28-year-old showed signs of improvement last week during scrimmages with the NBA’s G-League affiliate. Head coach Tyronn Lue said that he hoped to have Thomas compete in high-speed workouts with the team before he returns.

There is no exact timetable for Thomas' return, but the Cavs are hoping for him to debut in early January. On Christmas Day, Thomas posted himself dunking on Instagram.

 

#ThatSLOWgrind

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Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors have ruled out superstar guard Steph Curry until at least Friday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. Curry, who suffered a sprained right ankle on Dec. 4 against the New Orleans Pelicans, has missed nine straight games.

Curry showed progress last week when participating in an on-court scrimmage, according to the team's medical staff. The 29-year-old will be re-evaluated Friday.

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball remains inactive ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Ball, 20, suffered a sprained left shoulder in the second quarter of Saturday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He'll miss at least the next two games and will be re-evaluated Dec. 31.

Ball said he hopes the injury won’t keep him sidelined for too long.

"It really didn’t hurt until the next day, when I woke up it was pretty sore," Ball told the Los Angeles Times. "That’s when we got the MRI and then the results came back. So, trying to stay positive and get back as fast as I can."