Kenny Atkinson's Update on Kyrie Irving's Shoulder Injury Doesn't Sound Great
By Jerry Trotta
Stop us if you've heard this before, but Kyrie Irving is currently combating a lingering injury.
The All-Star point guard has missed the Brooklyn Nets' last two games with a shoulder impingement, and Kenny Atkinson's update on his status should concern Nets fans.
Per the 52-year-old head coach, Irving's pain is so significant that he will be unable to play through the injury.
Kenny Atkinson on Kyrie Irving’s shoulder injury: “I wouldn’t say it’s a long-term thing... I don’t think he could play through it right now, no.”
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) November 20, 2019
In other words, Irving will be dressed to the nines behind Brooklyn's bench while the rest of his teammates go to battle against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
Atkinson's assessment indicates that the Duke product isn't projected to miss much time, but his absence is going to be a problem for the Nets, who sit ninth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 5-8 record.
When you consider the thumb injury that will shelve Caris LeVert for the next couple of weeks, Brooklyn will now be without two of their top three scoring options.
Nets say Kyrie Irving is day-to-day, but it’s about to be a week since he’s last been on the floor. https://t.co/YEJP6yaXAX
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) November 20, 2019
It's wise for the Nets to slow-play Kyrie's return given his prolonged injury history. When Irving returns to full health, however, remains to be seen as Atkinson's timetable was anything but clear.
In the meantime, look for Spencer Dinwiddie and Garrett Temple to continue to handle the majority of the ball-handling burden for Brooklyn.