Kyrie Irving Has 3-6 Week Timeline to Return from Surgery on Knee Injury

The Boston Celtics announced that point guard Kyrie Irving underwent a minimally invasive procedure to remove a tension wire in his left knee on Saturday. 

He is expected to return to basketball activities in three to six weeks. 

According to the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, there is "optimism" that the Celtics' starting floor general "could return either near the start of the playoffs or, on the later end, in a conference semifinals series."

The Celtics have stayed afloat and gone 3-2 without Irving over the past 10 days. However, the offense is hardly the same without him. 

So far this season, the Celtics boast an offensive rating of 108.7 with Irving on the floor. When he's been on the bench, that total has plummeted to 101.0—a mark that would rank second-worst in the league. 

Boston is also hoping for a quick recovery from shooting guard Marcus Smart after he underwent surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb. He's expected to be sidelined between six and eight weeks. 

Stats courtesy of NBA.com.