Kyrie Irving has only appeared in 20 games for the Brooklyn Nets this year as he’s been dealing with a lingering shoulder issue. It cost him 26 games early in his tenure with the squad, and after it was announced that he aggravated the injury recently, the superstar guard has to go under the knife.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving will be out for an extended period of time due to a likely upcoming procedure to try and correct whatever’s going on in his shoulder. Currently, there is no reported timetable for his return.
Nets star Kyrie Irving is likely to undergo procedure on his right shoulder and miss extended period of time, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 20, 2020
Irving has put up big numbers so far during his first year in Brooklyn, averaging a career-best 27.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He’s also doling out 6.4 assists a night and has connected on 47.8 percent of his attempts from the field, including 39.4 percent of his threes. When he’s had to sit this year, the Nets have relied heavily on Spencer Dinwiddie to run the show, which has worked out pretty well for them, as he’s putting up career highs in scoring, assists, and rebounding this year.
Brooklyn currently sits at 25-28, a less-than-stellar record but one that would get them into the playoffs as the 7-seed and gives them a two-game cushion on the eighth-place Orlando Magic. While Kevin Durant was supposed to be their only superstar to miss major time this year as he’s recovered from surgery, it looks like Irving’s slated to join him.
