The Dallas Mavericks reported on Tuesday that Kyrie Irving has undergone surgery to mend a fractured left hand. Irving sustained the injury during training earlier this month, and the timeline for his recovery is yet to be determined. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the team is optimistic that Irving will be fully involved in training camp.
Irving and the Mavericks recently reached the NBA Finals, marking their first appearance since 2011 when Dirk Nowitzki guided them to their sole franchise championship. However, they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in five games during this recent Finals appearance.
In his first full season with the Mavericks last year, Irving played 58 games and posted impressive averages of 25.6 points, five rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. He achieved shooting splits of 49.7% from the field, 41.1% from three-point range, and 90.5% from the free-throw line. Irving came close to joining an elite group including Larry Bird, Steve Nash, and Kevin Durant as one of the few players with multiple seasons shooting over 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line.
Despite his outstanding performance once again, Irving was unable to secure his ninth All-Star appearance due to injuries, particularly a heel contusion that sidelined him for 12 games in December. Further setbacks prevented him from meeting the new 65-game requirement for major awards, thereby excluding him from consideration for the All-NBA team.
Despite not receiving his usual accolades, last season was arguably one of Irving’s best performances in recent years, particularly highlighted by his playoff contributions leading to the Finals. His partnership with Luka Doncic was so effective that some analysts speculated whether they formed the best offensive backcourt in history.
In the Finals, Irving struggled to maintain his regular-season production, contributing to the Mavericks appearing overmatched at times. Across the five games, he averaged 19.8 points and five assists per game, shooting 41.4% from the field overall and 27.6% from three-point range.
Irving signed a three-year, $140 million extension with the Mavericks last year. He is currently under contract for the upcoming season and holds a player option for the 2025-26 campaign.
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