Kyrie Irving missed 26 games this season with shoulder bursitis, but rather than have surgery he got a cortisone shot eight weeks ago and was able to return to the court for nine games. Eventually, a knee issue sidelined him.
Now he has re-aggravated that shoulder and, once again, will see a specialist, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson told the media on Tuesday.
Kyrie Irving, who was not at practice today, has re-aggregated the right shoulder that caused him to miss 26 games earlier this season, Kenny Atkinson said. He is going to see a specialist this week.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 18, 2020
When I asked Kenny Atkinson if he was concerned the #Nets have seen the last of Kyrie Irving, he wouldn’t go there; just said the shoulder has been acting up and they need more information.
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) February 18, 2020
Irving's injury is best described as a deterioration in the shoulder. When he discussed his return in late December, Irving acknowledged that he took a cortisone shot at the time in hopes of avoiding surgery. The reality is that he has been playing with on and off discomfort
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 19, 2020
There are no details on if there is a specific moment the re-aggravation happened. Irving had been trying to avoid surgery, but that could be back on the table. Irving and the Nets may take a few weeks to make their decision on a next step.
Atkinson may not go there but the rest of us can — it would be a surprise to see Irving back this season. At this point, the smart play is to let Spencer Dinwiddie run the offense the rest of the way, play hard and see what happens in the playoffs, then return next season with a healthy Irving and Kevin Durant.
Irving has played in just 20 games this season, but without him the Nets are still the seven seed in the East at 25-28.
