Update #1, Jan. 11: Kyrie Irving is likely to return to the Nets on Sunday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
The Brooklyn Nets were recently faced with news that Kyrie Irving could be facing surgery to repair his shoulder issue. Fast forward five days and the 27-year-old sounds optimistic that he could return within the next week.
“Hopefully I get some game reps in addition to practice probably in the next week or so“, Irving told Malika Andrews of ESPN. “It could be less than that but I’ll give myself a week.”
The major difference between the news today and what was revealed last week is that the All-Star guard has had additional time to test himself after a cortisone shot that he received to treat the injury.
Irving said a week ago that if the cortisone shot didn’t do the trick, he would consider surgical options.
Irving participated in a contact practice with the Nets today, a major milestone after the 25-game absence that spoiled the first half of his first season in Brooklyn.
While there’s no guarantee with injuries as difficult to assess as this impingement, if Irving can get a series of solid practices under his belt, he could be back on the court far sooner than expected.
