Brooklyn Nets star point guard Kyrie Irving will miss his seventh straight game on Wednesday against his old team, the Boston Celtics.
Irving is still out with a sore shoulder. Nets head coach Atkinson is unsure if Irving will play against the Celtics on Friday in Brooklyn:
Kenny Atkinson is asked about Kyrie Irving potentially coming back for Friday’s game against the Celtics in Brooklyn, but says he doesn’t have an update on his status, nor a timetable for his return.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) November 27, 2019
The Nets are 9-8 on the season, which is good for seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.
On the season, Irving is averaging 28.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from beyond the arc and 93.7 percent from the free-throw line. Brooklyn is 4-7 when Irving plays.
Atkinson said last week he doesn’t believe Irving’s shoulder injury will be a long-term issue:
“I don’t think it’s a long-term thing, but I wouldn’t say we’re being overcautious, Atkinson said. “I think he has a situation that’s prevented him from playing. And like I said before, this is kind of like a collaborative thing — we’ve talked about it, but this is the best course of action.
“Do I think it’s like a long-term thing? Like I said, no. I don’t think he could play through it right now, quite honestly … Like I keep saying, the shoulder’s just a sensitive (injury) — especially for a point guard, right? It’s like a quarterback — the way he shoots it, passing, the whole thing. I think he’s working through it right now. And we’ve got to work through not having him, quite honestly.”
There is no timetable for Irving’s return and Brooklyn will continue to be cautious with Uncle Drew.
