The potential loss of Kyrie Irving is much more important to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the moment than a loss in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. With a healthy Irving, one loss in a seven-game series can easily be overcome. With a hobbled Irving or no Irving at all, the future suddenly looks grim.
The early diagnosis after Irving left Thursday night’s game is that he did not suffer a torn ACL or MCL. That is good news, but he still left the arena on crutches and appeared to be in a great deal of pain. As the Cavs await the results of his MRI, there has apparently been some talk of friction between Irving’s camp and the team.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Irving’s father, Drederick, and his agent, Jeff Wechsler, have been at odds with the Cavs over the handling of Irving’s injury.
There’s been some tension between these two sides for weeks now. Irving’s father and Wechsler, sources said, have been preaching caution with Irving and this knee issue. Naturally, they are focused on his long-term health and have concern that playing on a weakened knee — what the Cavs have said publicly was a bad case of tendinitis — could put him at risk of suffering a greater injury. Going to see Andrews was part of the entire group’s efforts to get a full handle on what Irving was facing and get independent advice on the situation.
Of course on the other side, the Cavs want Irving to play as long as he’s not seriously hurt. As Irving was limping through the start of the conference finals against the Hawks, it was easy to identify some mild friction. As Irving was preparing to get a second opinion, there was a sense he was being challenged to play through it.
We saw a similar issue arise in the Super Bowl, when there was speculation that Julian Edelman re-entered the game after suffering a concussion.
Irving is only 23 and has a long career ahead of him, but the temptation to play through pain is always greater when the stakes are high. If doctors say the knee is compromised and could be injured further, Irving will have a very difficult decision to make.
If this report is any indication, the Cavs may already be bracing themselves for NBA Finals life without their star point guard.
