As playoff-bound teams are looking to play their best basketball of the 2017-18 NBA season, there are major concerns about Kyrie Irving for the Boston Celtics. After missing five consecutive games due to knee soreness, the 26-year-old sought out a second opinion before ultimately opting for surgery.

According to the Celtics, Irving underwent surgery to remove a tension wire in his left knee. As a result, he is expected to miss 3-6 weeks:

Celtics guard Kyrie Irving today underwent a minimally-invasive procedure to remove a tension wire in his left knee. The wire was originally placed as part of the surgical repair of a fractured patella sustained during the 2015 NBA Finals. While removal of the wire should relieve irritation it was causing in Irving’s patellar tendon, the fractured patella has fully healed and Irving’s knee has been found to be completely structurally sound. Irving is expected to return to basketball activities in 3-6 weeks.

Based on the timeline, there are concerns if Irving can even return before the start of the playoffs. With numerous injuries to the roster, Boston's top priority is getting relatively healthy as they are unlikely to catch the Toronto Raptors (4.5 games back) and have a comfortable lead on the Cleveland Cavaliers (six games ahead) with 10 games remaining in the regular season.

In his first season with the Celtics, Irving has established himself as the team's first option, averaging 24.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 60 games. As the five-time All-Star has dealt with knee issues in the past, it will be interesting to see if he returns in time and what happens at the end of the season.