What we all speculated during last year’s NCAA Tournament, that Duke’s fab freshman PG Kyrie Irving wasn’t playing at 100%, was apparently true. Per a story at the Cleveland Plains Dealer, doctors have told Irving that his injured right foot won’t be completely healed for another 3 months.
Would this information have made a difference in the Cavaliers possibly selecting Arizona forward Derrick Williams instead of Irving in the 2011 NBA Draft? Anything is possible, but word was that Irving was always Cleveland’s top choice, based on team need. After all, incumbent PG Baron Davis is like 45 years old by now…right?
Irving claims he “feels 150%” but also admitted that the Lockout may be a blessing in disguise since he intends to hit the ground running once league play officially begins. Still only age 19, Kyrie has decided to concentrate on education rather than attempting to play overseas. That should be a smart decision considering he has a guaranteed deal on this side of the pond.
If you remember, Irving was selected as the #1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, even though he played only 11 games at Duke. In those games, he did showcase an elite level ability that should translate well to the next level, but many questioned Cleveland selecting the former McDonald’s All American with the top pick, especially after appearing a bit tentative and showing some obvious effects from the lingering toe injury upon returning to action during the NCAA Tournament.
During March Madness Irving cited the reason for attempting to return earlier than anticipated was that he “wanted to play with his teammates” and obviously help win a national championship.
Kyrie is taking 4 courses this semester, African American Studies, Theater, and 2 Psychology classes, in an attempt to finish his sophomore year at Duke before playing in his first NBA game.
Check out Kyrie Irving’s Duke Highlights:
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
