PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 15: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets wipes his face against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on January 15, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Getty)
The first year of a long-term plan to acquire two injury riddled superstars has hit a roadblock after Nets general manager Sean Marks announced that Kyrie Irving underwent shoulder surgery Thursday and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.
“He’s obviously upset about this,” Marks told the New York Times. “We’re here to support him, support the process, moving forward with him.” Irving appeared in just 20 games this season, but with stats consisting of 27.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game on 47% shooting, the organization is hopeful he can regain full health for next season as Kevin Durant returns following a ruptured achilles tendon injury that he sustained in the 2019 NBA Finals. In January, Irving reportedly took a cortisone shot to relieve pain and delay surgery but Marks didn’t want to take any chances.
“It gets to the point where you say enough is enough,” Marks said. “Again, it goes to long-term health, and the best prognosis right now is to shut him down and get this taken care of once and for all.”
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Brooklyn knew this season was more about getting Irving comfortable with coach Kenny Atkinson‘s coaching schemes and philosophy while adjusting to new teammates in order to prepare for next season when the team will likely be a title contender.
“We’re looking at the big picture here,” Marks said. “We’re not looking at the next two, three months. We’re looking at the next two, three years.” Without Irving, the team is 13-13 stemming from the exceptional play of Spencer Dinwiddie, a versatile 6’5” point guard who is averaging 21 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. Other solid players on the roster include Joe Harris who averages 13.8 points per game shooting 40.4% from three point range, and fourth-year swingman Caris Levert, who scored a career-high 37 points in early February is starting to shake the rust off from last years injuries.
The big picture for Brooklyn is building a team that will compete for championships over the next 4-5 years. If the team can stay healthy, there’s no doubt the Nets will be a force to be reckoned with.
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