Kyrie Irving may be poised to lace up his sneakers this season, even despite the Dallas Mavericks’ flat start.
The injured Mavericks star Irving is ahead of his schedule in his recovery from a torn ACL, Marc J. Spears of ESPN said Monday during an appearance on “NBA Today.” Spears even went so far to say that Irving could play “right now” if Dallas was in the postseason.
“He’s working out with the purpose of playing this season,” said Spears of Irving, per Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News. “Someone close to him told me if it was the playoffs, he could play right now.”
Irving, the nine-time NBA All-Star, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a game last season in early March. ACL tears are roughly 9-12 month injuries on average, and Irving is about at the eight-and-a-half-month point of his recovery.
That said, the Mavericks are down in the dumps right now and have started the season at a miserable 4-10 on the year. If Dallas does not quickly get into the playoff picture in a brutal Western Conference, there will not be much reason for them to rush back Irving, who will be turning 34 years old in a few months.
Over the summer, Irving sounded a bit more pessimistic about the potential of a return this season. But over the span of the few months since then, it appears that the former No. 1 overall pick has made some tangible progress in his recovery (though Irving’s ultimate return will likely be tied directly to the Mavericks’ place in the standings).
