News of Kyrie Irving’s ACL injury sits as another shot across the bow of Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, sending shockwaves around the league, apparently another ripple that trades Luka Dončić a month ago.
In his quest to make Irving look like an incompetent fool to trade Doncic, it’s easy to frame this as a universe or calmic for the Mavericks organization, as if Irving was some mere tool. But then you’ve sold Irving Short and claimed that he strips him of his very humanity and that the media will do for a long time on every occasion.
It looked bad and got worse when Irving stepped down the lanes of a Monday night match against the Sacramento Kings. Still, he made a free throw before being rescued by another injured teammate Anthony Davis in the locker room.
These two became unconscious weapons in the case of People and Harrison, as Davis was injured in his Mavericks debut. Now Irving will play for a long time with surgery and a long rehabilitation process.
Calling this something other than bad luck seems pretty mean considering Davis had the healthiest season of professionals last year and missed five games this season before being traded. Irving had played heavier hours at a larger load since Doncic was traded, but those minutes had increased when Doncic became inactive after a Christmas injury (37.5 mpg from December 27th to January 31st).
Wait, this is not just luck, it’s the worst case scenario in every situation, as if the mavs have snake eyes on every roll.
The focus here should be on Irving himself, one of the league’s most appealing figures, if not the biggest mystery of the past few seasons. He entertains athletes as much as the league has his size, and does not sacrifice creativity for efficiency – he still shot 3-50%, 2-6, and 90-40% or more from the free throw line. Clippers’ Amir Coffey and Boston’s Sam Hauser are the only other regular rotation players with that profile, and there’s no Irving’s volume either.
Irving returned to the All-Star stage this season as an injury replacement despite being supposed to be on the original list. I’ve returned to the consciousness of Irving’s NBA fans. For a long time, when his name was mentioned, his play was not on anyone’s mind, first or second.
He was seen as grievances, destroyers and many other harsh things due to his views and other issues regarding the Covid-19 vaccine and other issues, including sharing links to anti-Semitic films that disrupt people from Brooklyn and beyond. The highly promising trio with Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden failed miserably, and Irving was an important cog to be held responsible.
But since he went to Dallas and yes, not only playing with Doncic, he was rescued from Brooklyn by Harrison two years ago, but Irving was able to focus on basketball and be the thoughtful citizen he always claims.
Anyone who sat near fans at Boston’s TD Garden during the NBA Finals last June may have heard a bit of what Irving has to endure.
Irving’s stability, shotmaking and leadership were fully on display when Dallas ran. Doncic wasn’t the only one who won the playoffs last spring. He was an indisputable leader, but it was almost not the only factor.
And Irving didn’t play his absolute best in the final, but he was choked by Boston’s long, intense defender, but he didn’t break or melt. In fact, it was possible to argue that Irving’s play was a reason not only to drive Doncic away, but also to put Davis alongside Derek Lively II and Daniel Gaford, as it was the reason Harrison felt safe to do Luka’s deal.
Its defensive versatility, and it would have been intriguing to see Davis as an offensive hub and Irving as a playmaker at the concert.
But now it’s all rising in smoke and the fire will certainly come. If this is a three-year window with Irving and Davis as centerpieces, then most of it is gone.
But most of all, Irving is overlooked. During last year’s playoff run, he spoke about his appreciation for the journey at a different speed than he did when he was younger.
Irving was a calming, mature voice for a team that didn’t sweat much as they passed the postseason. Irving claimed he wanted the athlete to be made when he collapses, makes a mistake or misunderstood.
He gathered himself and began to speak clearly. He appears to be at the centre with basketball and his family, and then produced some of the best balls of his life.
Irving’s 33rd birthday may not be stepping back on the NBA floor in less than three weeks, until he is nearly 34, or depends on how his recovery is.
It feels devastating in itself and can’t see entertainer Kylie, competitor Kylie. He is in the class of older security guards who have moved the game forward along with Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. And he wrote one of the biggest shots in NBA history, winning a 3-pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
He skillfully straddled the line between his franchise leader and empathetic former teammate and Doncic in the aftermath of the deal, showing how much he cares about Doncic.
His teammate rides for him and it speaks to something of his basketball character.
Much of this revolves around Nico Harrison’s decision-making, inevitably going around the path back to Luka Doncic.
But first and foremost, it is important to remember how catastrophic this is for Kyrie Irving.
