Kyrie Irving Can't Even Lift His Arm to Shoot a Basketball and That Sounds Like a Problem

Kyrie Irving just can't catch a break, can he? Brooklyn Nets fans already knew that they'd be waiting a full year for Kevin Durant to hit the court again following his Achilles injury, but Kyrie's own injury troubles are presenting an ever-growing problem for Kenny Atkinson's team.

On Saturday, Uncle Drew told members of the media that pain and bursitis in his shoulder currently prevents him from lifting his arm up high enough to shoot a basketball.

Irving said he can’t lift his shoulder to get his shot up and there's bursitis there, which has been previously reported.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) January 4, 2020

That's... not great.

Irving hasn't played a single NBA game since Nov. 14, and we've heard little in the way of positive news since then. Shoulder surgery has never quite been ruled out -- that would set his recovery back considerably -- but at this point, any optimism that he won't need to go under the knife is of the cautious variety.

Kyrie Irving, speaking to the media for the first time in two months, tells reporters in Brooklyn that he has opted for a cortisone shot in his ailing shoulder in hopes it will allow him to avoid surgery
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 4, 2020

Irving's exit from Boston following last season wasn't a happy one. He had firmly developed a questionable reputation as a teammate, and the fact remains that Brad Steven's Celtics made it further in the playoffs without him two seasons ago than they did when he led the way this past summer. If anyone needed a fresh start, it's No. 11.

And yet, here we are.

Kyrie Irving: "It just sucks man. It's disheartening." Says playing on the roadtrip made it worse. But he's in a better place now and hopes it progresses in the next few weeks.
— Mike Mazzeo (@MazzNYC) January 4, 2020

It does suck. It is disheartening. At this point, Brooklyn has lost four in a row and seven of its last 10. Cross those fingers, Kings County. You're gonna need your top guy if you want to see things through and earn a playoff spot in the East.