Kyrie Irving is neither ahead nor behind of schedule, he and his head coach Jason Kidd clarified at Monday’s Dallas Mavericks media day, even if they chose the most convoluted method possible. “I’m right on schedule,” Irving said of his recovery process from a torn ACL suffered last March. Irving declined to provide any timeline more exact than that.
Before Irving spoke, Kidd had referenced videos of Irving on the court taking jump shots last week that prompted some fans to insist he was “ahead of schedule” in his recovery process. “When we do see (Kyrie) shooting, can we just refrain from saying ‘ahead of schedule,'” Kidd said. “He’s doing quite well, as we can see, but he’s not ahead of schedule. Let’s not say that. That’s unfair to him and the Mavericks, because it’s not true.” Shortly afterwards, Irving laughed about the “J-Kidd news,” having been told what his coach had just said.
“I’m figuring out what I can do to push myself to where I need to be,” Irving said. “I’ve made that statement clear that I’m trying to be better than I was, which is a hard task. I felt like I was in a great rhythm before I got injured. I felt like I was able to play 40-plus minutes per night with no problem. … It was more of the mental approach that I’m trying to get back to, that my talent and my skill will catch back over time as I continue to play against the best players in the world.
“Just don’t pay attention to putting yourself in a position to put a date out there (to return),” Irving continued. “And if you don’t make that date, then what happens? You’re in here answering questions, like, ‘It was pushed back.’ I’d rather just let it be where it is.”
This, of course, is the most reasonable and logical approach for Irving and the Mavericks to take regarding his eventual return, which is expected to happen at some point this season. But it didn’t stop other teammates from expressing optimism for the team’s chances upon that return.
“Once we get Kyrie back,” Klay Thompson said, “I don’t see why we can’t win the whole thing.”
Dereck Lively II says he’s grown taller
Asked whether he grew this summer, the 21-year-old Lively said: “I believe so. I would definitely say so.”
Lively clarified that “now I just need the exact measurement,” meaning it’s not yet official, but he believed it would come in at 7’2 or 7’3. Rest assured: We’ll keep our eyes out for the official listing.
Anthony Davis will wear goggles this season
Davis has recovered from surgery he underwent in July to repair a detached retina and will be a full participant when the team’s training camp begins on Tuesday in Vancouver, Canada. However, his doctor has mandated he wear protective eyewear for “the rest of his career” following this surgery, which Davis admitted he was not particularly excited about. Davis, previously, had been resistant against wearing them despite numerous injuries over the years. Davis also acknowledged his repaired eye does still show redness, a byproduct of medical eye drops he continues to take as part of his post-op procedure.
All players seem pleased with their summer contracts
Irving admitted this summer wasn’t his ideal scenario for negotiating a new contract. “Naturally, where I was playing, I felt like I was top-15 in the world and I was showing up every night,” Irving said. “Being at that level and (then getting injured and) having to go into negotiations, naturally, it’s not the position you want to be in, but I took it in stride.” But while Irving expected, without the injury, his contract may have been different, he’s pleased with the one he signed and what it meant for the team to attempt to cover for his absence.
“I’m grateful I did what I did,” Irving said, “because now we have the team and the depth. I didn’t mind sitting down and allowing others to put themselves in positions to lead the team until I’m ready to come back.”
P.J. Washington, likewise, said he believes his contract extension “went smoothly” on both sides. “I pretty much knew I was going to be here,” Washington said. “I’m excited you guys finally get to see it as well.” For Washington, he mentioned how he’s told his family how much this city feels like home.
Daniel Gafford, too, spoke in glowing terms about his extension, which was inked back in June. And D’Angelo Russell, the player who will be most tasked with filling in for Irving during his absence, talked about his fit here in Dallas just making sense.
“The NBA is a wild west, you never know where you’ll have the opportunity to be,” Russell said. “For me to be here, I know how good the organization is. For me, I just wanted to go somewhere where there was structure, where there’s not a lot of motives of people preparing for the next season. It’s all about now and who we got here now. I just want to plug in.”
