Kyrie Irving still hasn’t said publicly when he plans to return to the court as he continues to rehab his broken left kneecap. But according to a report from ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin, there is reason for optimism, since the Cavs PG is already killing it at practice. Supposedly one source claimed that Irving “destroyed” LeBron James during a 1-on-1 drill in practice on Saturday. The story:
Kyrie Irving played a set of modified 1-on-1 games against LeBron James after the Cleveland Cavaliers’ shootaround Saturday and “destroyed him,” a team source told ESPN.com.
They weren’t true games of 1-on-1 in the sense that only one dribble was allowed per possession, thus rendering James’ significant size advantage moot as he couldn’t simply back Irving down with his dribble and post him up. Games finished with the first player to score three baskets.
Getting hot from the outside with his shot helped Irving succeed, per the source.
To be fair, James ultimately evened the set of games 2-2 before the pair finished for the afternoon, but Irving was, apparently, in the zone.
For a guy who hasn’t played a game in more than five months as he continues to recover from a fractured left kneecap that he suffered in Game 1 of the Finals, Irving’s performance against James, the four-time MVP, certainly can help boost the three-time All-Star’s confidence and reaffirm the rehab work he has already put in.
