Anderson Varejao rejoins the Cleveland Cavaliers after a difficult summer of transition

Losing his best friend was difficult enough. Still, Anderson Varejao was prepared to begin his first full season in Cleveland without Zydrunas Ilgauskas, flanking him both on and off the court.

Losing full mobility of his right ankle in an August world championship warm-up game was a setback he figured he'd have overcome by now, though it's proven more troublesome than he thought.

Losing his grandfather, the 94-year-old anchor of his close-knit family in Brazil, was a blow that struck Varejao to the core two weeks ago. It's why he's still struggling to combat the first two losses as the Cavaliers ready for their fifth preseason game.

This has not been the easiest preseason for Varejao, to say the least.

But the sixth-year Cavaliers forward is finally back on the court, and endured a full practice Wednesday with his new coach's offense that prominently features his position. He hopes to play Thursday night against San Antonio in Pittsburgh.