Kyrie Irving to return Tuesday after missing 11 games with finger injury

Irving was averaging 22.9 points and 5.6 assists in 10 games this season but has been sidelined since Nov. 18. The Cavaliers are 2-9 in his absence. Irving played through the injury, which was reported as a hairline fracture to his left index finger, for several games before the discomfort became too much to overcome.

Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer reports that Waiters has not yet resumed full practice and is day-to-day.

When he’s on the court the Cavs are scoring 108.3 points per 100 possessions, per baskteball-reference, and when Irving is on the bench, the Cavs generate just 81.6 points per 100 possessions. Irving is basically the whole show for Cleveland and now it’s on hiatus.

The good news, sort of, is that there is no surgery planned and the team said his injury would be treated with tape and a splint. Irving broke his right hand in July after smacking a padded wall in frustration and while it’s tempting to suggest the 20-year-old is injury prone, it’s more likely that he’s simply unlucky.

The team said the injury will be treated with taping and a splint, with rough estimates that Irving will miss the next month — although he is scheduled to be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Irving was in the midst of a fantastic season in his second year in the NBA. The guard is averaging 22.9 points and 5.6 assists per game with a PER rating of 20.1.