If you’ve watched the first two games of the NBA Finals thus far and have felt that Kyrie Irving doesn’t look as dangerous or explosive as usual, it could be because he’s battling a knee issue.
Nate Jones, who is a plugged-in figure around the NBA, said on Twitter during Game 2 of the NBA Finals that he had heard Irving was dealing with a knee issue and isn’t as healthy as he was during last year’s playoffs.
Kyrie looks a step slow. I've heard he isn't healthy as he was last year at this time and I'm starting to believe it.
— Nate Jones (@JonesOnTheNBA) June 5, 2017
Jones shared where he heard his information.
No. A former NBA player that's close with one of the Cavs coaches told me that when we were talking about the series on Monday. https://t.co/OuEM1Hp2Bw
— Nate Jones (@JonesOnTheNBA) June 5, 2017
ESPN’s JA Adande chimed in and backed up the report, noting that Irving’s been dealing with a knee problem.
Kyrie said his knee wasn’t right late in season. He’s been banged up in playoffs, too https://t.co/kQwElq79gt
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) June 5, 2017
Irving scored 24 points in the Game 1 loss, with four turnovers and two assists. He was really off in Game 2, going just 8-for-23 with 19 points in 40 minutes in the blowout defeat. He certainly doesn’t look anywhere as good as he did in the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston, where he averaged 25.8 points per game while shooting 62.2 percent from the field. He did suffer an ankle injury during that series, but that’s different from this knee issue he reportedly has.
