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By now, everyone knows the situation with Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. Injuries to his right foot and left knee have forced him to play hobbled through the majority of the NBA Playoffs. Some nights, he’s been able to play through the pain and contribute on the stat sheet. Other games, he can clearly be seen laboring, struggling with the task of even getting up and down the court.
With the Cavs winning Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals Wednesday night, some thought it might be a good idea for the team to give Irving a breather. They now have home court advantage in the series, so why not rest their ailing guard for Game 2 so they can have him as healthy as possible when the teams head to Cleveland on Tuesday?
Right now, all signs point to this not being the course of action. Irving is listed as questionable for tonight’s game, though he’ll no doubt be once again dealing with significant discomfort. And, though there does seem to be some logic in the idea of giving Irving the night off, Cleveland should stay the course. If he can indeed take the court tonight, the Cavs have to get him out there.
This is no way to make it seem as though I don’t believe Irving’s injuries are that bad, nor is it in any way saying something along the lines of “just suck it up.” I have no doubt he’s going through a lot in just trying to contribute and help his team achieve their championship aspirations. That he’s been struggling to do so is clearly getting him down, as he sounded borderline defeated during postgame interviews Wednesday.
But, while I do understand this is incredibly difficult for Irving to deal with, I still think there is no sense in resting him tonight.
First of all, a 1-0 series lead is hardly insurmountable. The Hawks are still the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and they could easily take momentum back tonight. Just because Cleveland took a crucial Game 1 doesn’t mean they can start taking it easy under the assumption they’ll just win their three home games and move on.
The Cavs did indeed draw first blood, but they can’t let up in the slightest bit. They need every key player they have, and that includes Irving.
The biggest reason Cleveland should ignore any consideration of resting him, though, is quite simple. The fact is his foot strain, his knee tendonitis, these ailments aren’t going away any time soon. While a night off would be slightly beneficial, it wouldn’t make much impact in the long run.
Both of Irving’s injuries will require significant rest in order to heal back up to 100%. One game off is hardly significant, and it won’t bring him back to full strength. He received eight days off after Cleveland swept the Boston Celtics, five after eliminating the Chicago Bulls. Regardless, he’s still toughing it out and dealing with pain.
I’m not saying rest won’t help him, I’m just saying he’s received around a week off between each of the previous two series, and at the end of the day, he’s still nowhere close to 100%.
For Irving, this is all mental. He knows he’s going to be enduring a lot when taking the court every game from here on out. It’s unfortunate, but the aching isn’t going to go away until the postseason ends. So, the only way to handle his situation is to try his absolute hardest not to let the pain get to him.
I know, easier said than done. But, he really doesn’t have a choice. The Cavs could scratch him from the rest of the series if they wanted to, bring him back if they advance to the final round. It just wouldn’t matter in the long run. All previous evidence points to the fact he’d still be significantly sore if he were to suit back up.
Irving is in a tough spot right now. He clearly hates that he can’t help his team as much as he’d like, and he knows the injuries aren’t going away for the time being. Any sort of mid-series rest isn’t going to fix this, though.
Cleveland is only seven wins away from a title. To get there, they’re going to need whatever they can get from Irving, even if it means having him tough it out night after night. As difficult as it sounds, right now, it’s the only feasible option.
Casey Drottar is the Cleveland Beat Writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter or “Like” him on Facebook
