Kyrie Irving may actually be ready to play but the Cleveland Cavaliers are being cautious.
We know that we won’t see Kyrie tonight but according to Dave McMenamin, Irving is ready to play right now and has been for sometime:
"A source familiar with Kyrie Irving’s rehabilitation told ESPN.com the fifth-year guard is “ready to play” both mentally and physically and has been that way for about a week. Yet, Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt said after practice Sunday that “we won’t see” Irving on the court Tuesday against the Boston Celtics."
The Cavs are obviously being cautious but we can’t forget a report by Brian Windhorst last year that there was tension between Irving’s agent and father toward the Cavs for how they handled Irving’s injuries late in the season. This report came out after Irving’s final injury in the NBA Finals but seems very relevant:
"There’s been some tension between these two sides for weeks now. Irving’s father and Wechsler, sources said, have been preaching caution with Irving and this knee issue. Naturally, they are focused on his long-term health and have concern that playing on a weakened knee — what the Cavs have said publicly was a bad case of tendinitis — could put him at risk of suffering a greater injury. Going to see Andrews was part of the entire group’s efforts to get a full handle on what Irving was facing and get independent advice on the situation.Of course on the other side, the Cavs want Irving to play as long as he’s not seriously hurt. As Irving was limping through the start of the conference finals against the Hawks, it was easy to identify some mild friction. As Irving was preparing to get a second opinion, there was a sense he was being challenged to play through it."
With the Cavs playing well, #1 seed in the East with a 15 – 7 record, the Cavs have little motivation to push Irving on to the court. While his presence will obviously improve the Cavs, take pressure off of LeBron James and help the team get prepared for their long term cohesion, delaying Irving’s return is a protective measure.
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A bigger question relates to what Irving might be feeling. He is obviously close with his teammates and doesn’t want anyone to think that he doesn’t want to return as soon as possible. Is he on board with the concerns that his agent and father reportedly shared? Does he, like the Cavs seem, want to delay his return as long as possible?
Derrick Rose is a cautionary tale for all leg injuries in the NBA. He was, reportedly, overly cautious about returning even though he was, again reportedly, medically cleared near the end of a season and Playoffs. Yet he continues to get injured even when taking some extra time. Kyrie and the Cavs would like to avoid both of those scenarios.
Do you think the Cavs should let Kyrie Irving return? Do you think Kyrie wants to return or wants to play it safe?