NEW YORK _ Nets GM Sean Marks confirmed to reporters on Thursday that Kyrie Irving will undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
The news comes one day after Irving's teammates said they are taking his injury aggravation on a game-by-game, day-to-day basis. That clearly is no longer the case.
Irving, who initially suffered a right shoulder impingement on Nov. 4, missed 26 games after trying to play through the injury. He received a cortisone shot on Dec. 24, which allowed him to return to action on Jan. 12 and played in nine games before spraining his right knee on Feb. 1 vs. the Wizards. The effects of that cortisone shot appear to have worn off, and when he spoke publicly on Jan. 4, Irving said surgery would be an option if the shoulder issues persisted.
Surgery is now a reality.
The Nets are a better team with Irving on the floor, but they have yet to adjust to his style of play. The star guard is averaging more than 27 points, six assists and five rebounds this season, but he has only played in 20 games. The Nets are 8-12 when he has been available. Brooklyn had gone 17-16 prior to the All-Star break in games Irving had missed with Spencer Dinwiddie and, when healthy, Caris LeVert running the show.
They are going to need their two guards to continue their strong play as Irving is now done for the season.
