Here we go again. Kyrie Irving was injured Saturday night against the Washington Wizards and will undergo a MRI today to see what damage (if any) was done to his right knee. While this is nothing new to the star guard, it should be an area of concern for the Nets.
With the future riding on the Irving and Kevin Durant pairing, should the Nets be wise and rest one of their star players until next season? That may a tough ask with the Nets still in contention for a playoff spot. But will it be a smart decision? I say yes.
The reason being is that what the Nets and their fans are looking toward is the future, not the present. There will be no championship banner raised in 2020 in Brooklyn. While Kyrie is good, the truth of the matter is, he doesn’t fit with this core of players. Now, next season will be different with Durant alongside him. But are the Nets willing to risk that future dealing with a player known for injures throughout his career?
Kyrie Irving is in his 9th season in the league and has yet to play a full 82 games. While most players don’t play all 82, it’s been the injuries that have put Irving’s status as a superstar in question. In eight full seasons, Irving has played less than 70 games five times. That’s a huge concern.
Scary knee injury for #Kyrie 😓#Nets #Wizards #NBA #PrayersUppic.twitter.com/FpYCXPWcCk
— The Bronx Cheer Basketball (@BronxCheerBBall) February 2, 2020
With his latest injury, Sean Marks and crew must really think hard about shutting him down. Not saying that Irving is made of glass but there was a reference to him this morning in one of my sports groups that he’s the new Derrick Rose. After the game, Irving had this to say to the media regarding his latest injury.
“I’ve done some pretty decent things to my knees in the past,” Irving said. “The most important thing is just making sure my ACL was fine. It was just a weird, weird, weird fall. I just felt a lot stretching and tension afterward. Just a bad fall.”
It sounds like a player that knows his body but from an organization and fan standpoint, it’s more like “not again”. Deep down, Irving has to be thinking the same.