Mavericks star gaurd Kyrie Irving underwent surgery to repair a broken left hand, according to a team press release. He sustained the injury earlier this month while training.
Irving was coming off a stellar postseason in which he averaged 22.1 points, 5.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game as he and backcourt partner Luka Doncic lifted Dallas to the NBA Finals.
He averaged 25.6 points, 5.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds during the regular season while appearing in 58 games. He missed time in December and late January due to heel and thumb injuries.
With training camps opening in two-and-a-half months, it stands to reason Irving should be healed by that time. To that end, a team source expressed optimism to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that Irving will be able to participate in camp (Twitter link).
Still, the injury will disrupt his usual offseason regimen.
Irving will make $41MM next season and has a $43.96MM player option next offseason on the final year of his current contract.
The word “stellar’ doesn’t mean what it used to apparently.
The finals were definitely not stellar
Well he was playing with a broken hand
He wasn’t playing with a broken hand, he broke it training. Reading is hard.
Was just thinking…
Aren’t clutch stars meant to have better stats in the playoffs…?
Kyrie has been over rated for years…
I’ve said it before: Kyrie’s entire reputation as clutch is built on one shot from eight years ago. He’s never shown actual clutch performance or playoff clutch performance since, and the numbers back that up. He can have good games or hot streaks, but in the last few minutes of the game he should *not* be running the offense.
Easy to make a shot when you know the refs and league are doing everything they can to make you win. League was desperate for lebron to win on the cavs so they could get him in a bigger market, as lebron kept saying he wasn’t going to leave the Cavs until they won.
Kyrie does seem like he’s in a better place in life though. Doesn’t seem as restless and angry. That should make Dallas a little less concerned about that contract going too bad.
I have my doubts about Dallas moving forward. Klay was a nice pickup, but they lost the Finals not because of lack of offense but because the defense couldn’t stop Boston. Klay should be a 6th man, not the starting SF. Dallas fans will love Grimes. I’m still sorry to see him leave the Knicks.
Dallas made a mistake acquiring Klay. Dallas’ roster was fine just the way it was. Losing DJJ is a big loss. DJJ is an all around much better and more effective player than Klay.
If Klay was going to accept a 6th man role he would have stayed in GS. It’s his delusional belief that he’s a top caliber starter that led to Klay leaving. Dallas had to guarantee he would start and play X minutes. Headcase.