Kyrie Irving won't be making his season debut on Thursday against the Thunder after all. After reports that Irving was set to return to the court for the first time this year following off-season knee surgery, the Cavs guard tweeted he's not ready to come back just yet.
Kyrie Irving clarifies he won’t be making his debut on Thursday
The Cavs point guard has been recovering from a fractured kneecap since the NBA Finals.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Sorry to dwindle the news, but I won't be returning tmrw. It was wrongfully reported. When I do come back you'll hear it directly from me.
— Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) December 16, 2015 Irving was cleared for contact more than a week ago and has made it through practices without any setbacks, according to McMenamin.
Irving’s final hurdle before the team approves of his intention to play will involved a series of physical tests to measure his body’s strength and responsiveness, a team source told ESPN.com. The tests were similar to the ones administered on Irving before he was allowed to return for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against Atlanta last spring, after sitting out Games 2 and 3 with tendinitis in his left knee.
Irving suffered a fractured kneecap in the first game of the 2015 NBA Finals and was originally given a 3-4 month window for recovery. That timeline suggested he could be available for the season opener, but the Cavaliers made it clear from the start that they were going to be patient and not rush his return. Early in the offseason, it was reported that it was possible for him to be held out until January.
Irving returned to practice late in November but was limited. He was cleared for full contact and participated in practice without restrictions early in December, which suggested he was ahead of schedule. Now, he'll finally return to action after six months away from the court. He will likely have his minutes restricted early on whenever he decides to return, which coach David Blatt can afford to do since Matthew Dellavedova and Mo Williams have filled in well at the point guard position.
The Cavaliers, 16-7 and winners of their last three games, have been able to survive the absence of one of their All-Star players, largely thanks to the improved play Kevin Love, but they've clearly missed the shot creation their talented starting point guard brings to the table. Cleveland has one of the best offenses in the league but has not reached the heights from last season, when they averaged over 107 points per 100 possessions. Having Irving back eventually will give the team another perimeter scorer to take some off the burden off of LeBron James.
Irving averaged 22 points, three rebounds and five assists last season on 47 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent from beyond the arc.
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