Kyrie Irving’s season is over, and now, there are concerns about his future
Kyrie is doing Kyrie stuff again.
?? 10-10 and a buzzer beater to end the half? Why not @KyrieIrving
(via @BrooklynNets)pic.twitter.com/NgeCSxRFbN
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) February 1, 2020
No, not that Kyrie stuff.
?? @KyrieIrving was on another level tonight pic.twitter.com/pyWelUoTXW
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) February 1, 2020
No! We said not that Kyrie stuff!
This stuff:
Nets make official that Kyrie Irving will undergo season-ending surgery on shoulder. https://t.co/dfjCsEERAR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 20, 2020
Yeah, well…
…we’re upset about it too, Kyrie.
Irving is out for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, meaning he will have played only 20 games for the Brooklyn Nets this season.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are paid a combined $69 million this season and played a combined 20 games.
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) February 20, 2020
We knew we wouldn’t see Kevin Durant this season, but we were hoping that for the first time in his nine-year career, we’d get a full season out of Irving, so we could see crossovers and clutch threes and a bunch of shots that we can’t decipher.
45 PTS | 6 REB | 7 AST#WeGoHard von @KyrieIrving und den @BrooklynNets beim OT-Sieg in Detroit! pic.twitter.com/Mklp7j1GYC
— NBA Germany (@NBA_de) January 26, 2020
See what we did there? You can’t decipher the layup or the tweet?
Anywho!
Our hopes and dreams have been dashed, and at this point, it might be time for the NBA world to accept that Irving will never really be on the court enough to capitalize on his all-time great potential.
“This has to be a concern going forward. Kyrie’s body is fragile. … He’s only played 70 or more games 3 times in his 9 seasons.” — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/VsD8KYxr6C
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 21, 2020
When he’s playing, Kyrie Irving is the business.
Have you forgotten this?
That shot won the NBA Finals a few short years ago.
But since that all-time clutch bucket, Irving hasn’t really been himself.
Or, has he?
The next season, Irving played a very respectable 72 games in the regular season, coupled with another NBA Finals berth.
However, the Cleveland Cavaliers were defeated in five games by the Golden State Warriors, and after the season, Kyrie asked to be traded.
He landed in Boston and over the next two seasons, his injury woes continued. He played in 127 of 164 games.
Now, he will have played 20 out of 82 this season in Brooklyn.
Some have looked at the silver lining in terms of this season.
“When Kyrie was on the court, he was extraordinary. Now, it gives him time to just get himself right from top to bottom.” — @sarahkustok pic.twitter.com/gYRFJtwHHB
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 21, 2020
Sure, time off serves to heal us all.
“We all knew if Kyrie had stayed healthy this year, it wasn’t about this year. It’s about next year — KD and Kyrie both healthy and see what they can do in the Eastern Conference.” — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/7uKPEMaqlY
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 21, 2020
Sure, until KD comes back, the Nets aren’t really a viable player.
But, this season was a chance for Kyrie to prove he can withstand an 82-game schedule, get along with teammates, and potentially take a team to the playoffs by himself.
“If Kyrie is going to be your 2nd best player and the Nets are trying to build for a championship your 1st best player has to be LeBron. It can’t be KD. LeBron is his own system. KD is a guy who fits and exists outside of any system.” — @VinceGoodwill pic.twitter.com/DMRdVi1l2v
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 21, 2020
Kyrie is an anomaly. He is one of the few players with an extensive injury history who is still mentioned among the games greats.
It’s a testament to his ability.
Kyrie Irving’s career averages:
22.4 PTS | 3.7 REB | 5.7 AST | 46.6 FG% | 39.0 3PT FG%Is Kyrie Irving already a Hall of Famer?
RT for YES
LIKE for NO pic.twitter.com/z0WyS56uCh— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 21, 2020
But you know what they say: the best ability is avail-ability.
