Cleveland Cavaliers star point guard Kyrie Irving has entered the next phase of his rehabilitation.
The 23-year-old All-Star has recently been cleared for intensive weight-bearing activities, Cleveland.com reported. Iriving had been out since Game 1 of last season’s finals, in which he fractured his left kneecap and missed the rest of the series.
This new phase of rehabilitation does not grant Irving “freedom for on-court work,” and he has yet to start practicing with the team.
In the meantime, the Cavaliers, who are currently 8-2, will continue to look to steady veteran Mo Williams and scrappy back up Matthew Dellavedova to lessen the loss of Irving and replace some of his production.
Last season, Irving averaged 21.7 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game, appearing in 75 contests, the highest mark of his career.
Irving’s original timetable for recovery was three to four months, but it now appears that he may not return to the hardwood until January.
The Cavaliers, who made the NBA Finals last season despite being decimated by injuries, will be in no rush to bring back their elite point guard, as they will be happy as long as Irving is healthy come playoff time.
It appears that Irving is keeping busy in the meantime, having just recently released chapter four of his ‘Uncle Drew’ commercials, a long-running partnership with Pepsi in which Irving (disguised as an old man) schools unsuspecting bystanders on the basketball playground.
In this edition, Irving duels Walt (sharpshooter Ray Allen) in a game of horse.