When Will Kyrie Irving Return? Latest Update, Timeline on Mavs PG amid Knee Injury

It has been a disappointing start to the season for the Dallas Mavericks, but Kyrie Irving is reportedly getting closer to a return.

"Kyrie's looking good, he's ahead of schedule," ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported Monday (6:04-7:00). "He's working out with the purpose of playing this season. Optimistic wise, probably around late January, All-Star break. Someone close to him told me that if it was the playoffs, he could play right now.

"… By the time he's able to come back late January, there's going to be a collective decision from him, from the team, from everybody that's close to him about whether it's worth it for him to come back or not. He wants to be back."

Irving is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season, and his absence has left the Mavericks without their primary point guard.

They have played rookie Cooper Flagg in that role at times even though he is 6'9", and it has certainly been an adjustment for the Duke product. 

That isn't the only concern for the Western Conference team, though, as Anthony Davis hasn't played since Oct. 29 because of a calf injury. Irving and Davis are the two primary playmakers on the team, and their absences help explain the 4-10 record to start the new season.

Elsewhere, veteran Klay Thompson is shooting a career-worst 33.8 percent from the field and 32 percent from deep. His 9.6 points per game is also the lowest mark of his career since he entered the league in the 2011-12 season.

Having Irving back and healthy would help everyone else because of the defensive attention he draws.

He can work in pick-and-rolls with Flagg and put the rookie in ideal scoring positions while also forcing the defense to collapse on his penetration to create open looks from Thompson on the outside.

Yet competing in the Western Conference is a daunting proposition, especially given Dallas' poor start. If Irving is close to return but the Mavericks are all but eliminated from playoff contention, it wouldn't be surprising if the team and player decide to start focusing on next season instead of risking further setbacks on the court.

It seems like everything is up in the air at this point, but Irving is at least making progress.