2:39pm: Irving is considering treatment options – including surgery – and will make a decision within the next few days, according to Malika Andrews and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The expectation in Brooklyn over the past few days is that Irving will miss the rest of the season, sources tell Charania.
2:09pm: Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, who visited a specialist this week to get another opinion on his troublesome right shoulder, will likely undergo a procedure on that shoulder and miss an “extended period of time,” league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Irving, who signed a big-money-, four-year contract with the Nets last summer, has been limited to just 20 games in his first season with the club, primarily due to shoulder issues. He has been his usual productive self when he has been healthy, averaging 27.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 5.2 RPG with a shooting line of .478/.394/.922.
Although Charania’s report doesn’t provide specifics on Irving’s recovery timeline, it may be time to start wondering how much more he’ll actually contribute to the Nets this season. With Kevin Durant confirming he won’t play this season, Brooklyn isn’t a legit championship contender in 2019/20, so the team won’t want to rush Irving back.
At the very least, it seems likely he’ll miss the Nets’ second game in Boston on March 3, depriving Celtics fans of the opportunity to welcome him back this season following his free agency departure.
Regardless of when Irving is able to return to action, the 25-28 Nets, who currently rank seventh in the East, are in position to clinch a playoff spot. The team has a 17-16 record in games without Irving so far this season.
They should of kept DLo Russell.
Why I remember when Kyrie and Durant were claiming the great takeover of New York. Starting to look like they are a disaster. Two older injured guys clogging up the cap. Good luck in Brooklyn boys.
We all knew KD wasn’t playing this year so what changed? Their window starts next year when he comes back.
Nothing has changed, it was a disaster from the get-go.
Major BS. When KD says he wants to sign with your team you do it even if he is missing a year. Even if it means basically trading Dlo for Kyrie.
Durant will no longer be the elite player he was before, very few players recover from the injury he suffered. Just look at Boogie. And the Nets are by far the worst team that Durant has even been a member of, compared to the talent he was surrounded with in OKC and Golden State.
He doesn’t have to be the same. Few ever expected that. That’s just trolling with a straw man argument.
And Kyrie will still miss half the season.
Saw that coming. What a flake. There’s always gotta be an excuse with this guy. He doesn’t understand a team concept at all. Go to the parks Uncle Drew and play your game their.
Its fascinating to look at how much capital and assets The Nets have invested for a 2 yr run of Irv and Kd
They have realistically mortgaged 6-8 yrs (at least) of the Franchise for 2021 and 2022
I dont condemn it really but its fascinating to look at from a far
it’s as bad as the Pierce/Garnett move years ago except those guys actually pitched in to a winning team and won a playoff series. KD and Kyrie are unlikely to even do that. Even if both are healthy they are still going to miss 25 games apiece next year the way the league is played nowadays.
Kyrie is a negative player who causes chaos on his own team, there’s no evidence he can lead an NBA team to a winning record. Now it’s unlikely that Kyrie, KD and the other players will even have a chance to play together for more than about 30 games before the playoffs next year. They will be a bottom seed in the East and get smoked by teams like Boston, Toronto, Milwaukee etc.
At least we didn’t give up a half decade of draft picks like the Boston deal.