Report: Irving to miss rest of season, playoffs after surgery
So much for "minimally invasive".In the aftermath of left knee surgery, Boston Celtics All-Star guard Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the regular season and playoffs, league sources told ESPN.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 5, 2018
With the Boston Celtics playoff aspirations just having been dealt a potentially-terminal body blow, it seems Irving's surgery has gone far less well than many hoped. Irving, who had a tension wire stabilizing screws inserted into a knee he fractured in 2015 removed, hoped to return to action three to six weeks from the supposedly minor surgery, which occurred last week.
Such a recovery would have placed Kyrie back on the court sometime between the first and third round of the NBA Playoffs, but now it seems almost certain the Celtics will need a miracle to get further than the second with Irving ruled out for the season. It also throws the possibility of either Marcus Smart or Gordon Hayward's potential return from their own injuries into doubt - does it make sense to take risks with an early return to action in such a diminished state?
Danny Ainge and the Celtics front office have some very tough decisions to make - decisions which may impact which members of the current roster return next season - in the coming days and weeks. There's plenty to be excited about in seeing Boston's young guys get some burn with tempered expectations, but Irving's knee may prove a key event in Boston's shorter- term ceiling - if not more - as they quest for Banner 18.
More details soon on this developing story.
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