Boston Celtics: Kyrie Irving’s Status Against 76ers Uncertain
Kyrie Irving’s status for the 76ers game is uncertain as he is dealing with shoulder pain
As if the overtime loss to the Pelicans was not bad enough, it turns out that Kyrie Irving is dealing with some shoulder discomfort that could keep him out of their next game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics came out of their London break in the best position they have been in this season, but that could quickly change if they drop their second in a row.
The Celtics have a lead in the East that they should hold onto the rest of the way, but dropping two in a row could put the Raptors right on their heel, while leaving the door open to a Cavaliers team that could easily go on a great run at some point before the playoffs.
The Celtics are playing a team they are comfortable against, and they know they should win, but all bets are off if Irving is unable to play. Irving does things on the court that no one else is capable of, and the Celtics have to transform their approach when they cannot expect his play making and scoring ability.
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Losing Irving means they have to rely on more unreliable shooters, and the ball movement absolutely has to be on point. They lose that bail out option if Irving is gone, and you need each and every player to step up if you want any chance at having a great offensive game without him.
Fortunately, the Celtics have good guard depth, and would be able to replace him with someone they trust as an offensive instigator in Marcus Smart or Terry Rozier. The problem is that the Celtics have been too inconsistent on offense to expect a strong showing without Irving, and the same goes for any situation where he is limited because of an injury.
Hopefully this is just some minor soreness and Irving will be good to go by tomorrow night. That being said, if there is any risk or any lingering pain the Celtics should never rush him back. They are comfortable enough winning shorthanded, and have that extra cushion in the East.
The Celtics know they came out of their London trip in a great position to build on their lead in the East, but they can afford to drop some games if it means getting Irving back at 100 percent.
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We probably will not know anything for sure until before tip off tomorrow, but any time there is any talk about Irving being hurt, every single Celtics fan is going to be worried, both for the immediate games and for the future impact.