Nets' Kyrie Irving Breaks Silence on Shoulder Injury, Says Surgery Is Possible
The Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving have kept things mostly mum regarding the star point guard's shoulder injury, but that's changing.
Irving told reporters Saturday that surgery is still an option, but since getting a cortisone shot he's doing "a lot better." The 27-year-old last played November 14 and said the injury had been bothering him for a week-plus before he was sidelined. There are no imminent plans for surgery, yet Irving noted he's still struggling to lift his shoulder when taking jump shots.
The Nets have not placed a timetable on his return.
Irving signed with Brooklyn this offseason, teaming up with Kevin Durant to chase the first NBA title in franchise history. The latter's signing came with an asterisk, as Durant's expected to miss the full season while recovering from an Achilles injury he suffered in the 2019 Finals with the Golden State Warriors.
That didn't stop the hype from building for Irving in 2020. The guard figured to guide the likes of Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen along with veteran big man DeAndre Jordan. Instead, Irving has played just 11 games this season, though he's averaged 28.5 points, 7.2 assists and 5.4 rebounds.
The Nets, meanwhile, have fallen one game below .500 and are 8.5 games back of Boston for the Atlantic Division lead.
Irving and the team will continue to reevaluate his status and have met with several shoulder specialists across the country. The cortisone shot was meant to delay surgery, but it's unclear if a procedure is still avoidable. Surgery would leave the Nets with more than $70 million of this season's payroll on the sidelines for an extended time.
As discouraging as this may be for Nets fans, they can take solace in knowing the bulk of the team's core isn't going anywhere. Irving, Durant and Jordan are locked up through at least the 2021-22 season. Even still, this is not an ideal situation for a team with playoff aspirations.
