Kyrie done for rest of Season and Playoffs; needs second surgery

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Brutal.  A disappointing way for this season to end.  I was looking forward to what this team could do, albeit sans Hayward.

Still, with Theis already out for the year and Smart probably done as well, it makes sense to play it safe with Kyrie.  They made the mistake last season of letting their star guard push through injury to play in the postseason, and look how that worked out for the player.

We'll still get to see Rozier, Brown, Tatum, Horford play a lot of minutes in the playoffs, which should be entertaining, even if they struggle to make it out of Round 1.


Next year: Kyrie, Brown, Hayward, Tatum, Horford.

I don't care who's coming off the bench; that's a team to be excited about, as long as those 5 guys are healthy.

And therein lies the rub. I put the odds of all 5 of those guys staying relatively healthy all next season at about 5%.

I mean, all next season?  82 games?  Yeah, that's unlikely.

But how about, "60+ regular season games each and ready to go for the playoffs"?

I think the odds of that are relatively decent.

This is exactly what I was going to say.  It is unlikely that the starters miss no games, that just doesn't happen in the NBA.  But if our 5 starters avoid major injuries and can play 60-70 games each we will be in great shape, and that happening is fairly likely.

No offense, but I'll believe it when I see it.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

This is not a major injury, nor is it a major surgery.

I worry that we’re not getting the full story. Any surgery that takes 5 months to heal strikes me as fairly major.

I think this, too. How can anyone say this isn't a major injury if it's gonna take so long for Kyrie to recover from it?

And let's not forget: Kyrie had other significant injuries earlier in his career.

[KGBirdBias]

For those that want to blame Ainge...that would be misplaced blame. When I heard he still had the tension wire and screws in his knee and no one had check it since the surgery I questioned the Cavs. Remember everyone thought Ainge did the Cavs grimy but the Cavs knew this information as well. Both teams played themselves.

Now I'm going on record now that if we have this rotation next year, we may break the Warriors reg season record.
Kyrie
Brown
Hayward
Tatum
Horford

Rozier
Smart
Morris
Theis
Wagner

I wouldn't mind taking Moritz Wagner from Michigan if he declares. I think his skillset and style of play fits the Celtics.

[mctyson]

This is not a major injury, nor is it a major surgery.

I worry that we’re not getting the full story. Any surgery that takes 5 months to heal strikes me as fairly major.

Correct.  I would read the Adam Himmelsbach summary in the globe on this.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2018/04/05/kyrie-irving-out-playoffs/1ovgigSakxgOd3iXzqGXDN/story.html

The fact that there is still possibility of a bone infection is very serious.  Very major.  And like I have said, I think Ainge + Co. need to take some blame for buying damaged goods.  Kyrie had this problem when they traded for him.

[footey]

Globe story said that Kyrie was feeling better after last procedure. That’s the silver lining. If he is pain free and structurally sound, look out NBA next season!!

[Donoghus]

This is not a major injury, nor is it a major surgery.

I worry that we’re not getting the full story. Any surgery that takes 5 months to heal strikes me as fairly major.

Correct.  I would read the Adam Himmelsbach summary in the globe on this.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2018/04/05/kyrie-irving-out-playoffs/1ovgigSakxgOd3iXzqGXDN/story.html

The fact that there is still possibility of a bone infection is very serious.  Very major.  And like I have said, I think Ainge + Co. need to take some blame for buying damaged goods.  Kyrie had this problem when they traded for him.

They were also able to sell damaged goods.

[bellerephon]

The outlook is very good for Kyrie. The surgery is major compared to a minor scope, but not compared to repairing a ligament or something structural. They are just removing the remnants of the earlier surgery. If there are no complications, which is to be sure not guaranteed, he should be in good shape going forward.

As far as Ainge buying damaged goods, they knew there were issues. That is part of the reason that Kyrie was available for one draft pick and an injured IT and some other pieces. Keep in mind that IT was not really valued around the league nearly as much as he was in Boston. He was great here, but I think most teams still thought his best role is as sixth man.

If Kyrie recovers from the surgery, and there is no reason to doubt that he will, the Celts will have done well in the trade. The Nets pick is a bit of an x factor, but there is always some guess work in these deals. Danny is betting that Kyrie will be better than whatever player the Cavs get with that pick. I think it's a reasonable gamble.

[PhoSita]

No offense, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Jayson Tatum has played every game so far this year.

Jaylen Brown played 78 games last year and 67 games so far this year.

Al Horford has played 67 or more games in 9 out of his 11 seasons.

Before this season Hayward had never played fewer than 66 games in a season.

Kyrie has played 59 or more games 5/7 of his seasons in the NBA and was available for full playoff runs through the Finals last season and the season before.  The season prior to that he was available in the playoffs through game 1 of the Finals.

I would say the biggest question mark out of those is Kyrie, but the only issues he's had with availability the past several years have stemmed from a single knee injury that happened in Game 1 of the 2015 Finals.  By all accounts, this most recent procedure was something they expected all along to become necessary eventually.  He elected to have it done now, probably, in light of the fact that the team was already missing Hayward, Smart, and Theis for most or all of a potential playoff run.


All in all, I don't see a good reason to be so skeptical that the team could get 60+ games from each of the five core guys mentioned above and have them available (i.e. able to play if not 100%) for the playoffs.

[ChillyWilly]

The outlook is very good for Kyrie. The surgery is major compared to a minor scope, but not compared to repairing a ligament or something structural. They are just removing the remnants of the earlier surgery. If there are no complications, which is to be sure not guaranteed, he should be in good shape going forward.

As far as Ainge buying damaged goods, they knew there were issues. That is part of the reason that Kyrie was available for one draft pick and an injured IT and some other pieces. Keep in mind that IT was not really valued around the league nearly as much as he was in Boston. He was great here, but I think most teams still thought his best role is as sixth man.

If Kyrie recovers from the surgery, and there is no reason to doubt that he will, the Celts will have done well in the trade. The Nets pick is a bit of an x factor, but there is always some guess work in these deals. Danny is betting that Kyrie will be better than whatever player the Cavs get with that pick. I think it's a reasonable gamble.

TP sir.

Celtics fans here are emotional and irrational at times. Things don't go our way we point fingers and seek out our safety blankets.

This was a fun season no matter how it shakes out come playoffs. Someone is going to raise their value come playoffs and teams will come over paying for that player. We'll all be thankful in the offseason when playoffs no longer matter and our attention is back on the new season ahead.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

No offense, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Jayson Tatum has played every game so far this year.

Jaylen Brown played 78 games last year and 67 games so far this year.

Al Horford has played 67 or more games in 9 out of his 11 seasons.

Before this season Hayward had never played fewer than 66 games in a season.

Kyrie has played 59 or more games 5/7 of his seasons in the NBA and was available for full playoff runs through the Finals last season and the season before.  The season prior to that he was available in the playoffs through game 1 of the Finals.

I would say the biggest question mark out of those is Kyrie, but the only issues he's had with availability the past several years have stemmed from a single knee injury that happened in Game 1 of the 2015 Finals.  By all accounts, this most recent procedure was something they expected all along to become necessary eventually.  He elected to have it done now, probably, in light of the fact that the team was already missing Hayward, Smart, and Theis for most or all of a potential playoff run.


All in all, I don't see a good reason to be so skeptical that the team could get 60+ games from each of the five core guys mentioned above and have them available (i.e. able to play if not 100%) for the playoffs.

I think I'm jaded because of how many Celtics seasons in the last decade (since KG's knee in '09) have been derailed at one point or another by major injury—KG, Perk, Rondo, Shaq, Hayward, Kyrie. I realize that having numerous major injuries in the past doesn't mean there will be more of them next season, but I'm just expecting the worst at this point—so if it turns out bad, I'm prepared, and if it turns out good, it's a pleasant surprise.

[mctyson]

This is not a major injury, nor is it a major surgery.

I worry that we’re not getting the full story. Any surgery that takes 5 months to heal strikes me as fairly major.

Correct.  I would read the Adam Himmelsbach summary in the globe on this.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2018/04/05/kyrie-irving-out-playoffs/1ovgigSakxgOd3iXzqGXDN/story.html

The fact that there is still possibility of a bone infection is very serious.  Very major.  And like I have said, I think Ainge + Co. need to take some blame for buying damaged goods.  Kyrie had this problem when they traded for him.

They were also able to sell damaged goods.

Please do not gloss over the fact that Cleveland could get a top-5 pick for their trouble.

[Donoghus]

This is not a major injury, nor is it a major surgery.

I worry that we’re not getting the full story. Any surgery that takes 5 months to heal strikes me as fairly major.

Correct.  I would read the Adam Himmelsbach summary in the globe on this.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2018/04/05/kyrie-irving-out-playoffs/1ovgigSakxgOd3iXzqGXDN/story.html

The fact that there is still possibility of a bone infection is very serious.  Very major.  And like I have said, I think Ainge + Co. need to take some blame for buying damaged goods.  Kyrie had this problem when they traded for him.

They were also able to sell damaged goods.

Please do not gloss over the fact that Cleveland could get a top-5 pick for their trouble.

And the Celtics ended up with a legit upgrade on IT4 which has put this team in a higher ceiling situation going forward.

This was a talent trade, first & foremost.  Maybe that Brooklyn pick is a top 5 pick & pans out or maybe it doesn't.  Absolutely no one knows at this point.  You wanna be half empty & go worst case scenario?  Go right ahead.

All I know is that the Celtics improved their future with this trade.  I expect Kyrie to be back opening night and in recovered health.  I expect this team is be a legit force in 2018-2019 and if Kyrie extends, this team is looking like a potential juggernaut heading into the next decade. 

[BringToughnessBack]

I hope he comes back and this is not the beginning of a deteriorating knee but 2 major surgeries on a knee for a point guard who is only 25 does not make me feel super optimistic on him having 4/6 straight full seasons. Analysts and former players are worried as well. The segment below also brings up a great point- if Cleveland knew he needed surgery and Ainge and company knew it as well, why wasnt it done this past August so he could return in Dec-Jan? This to me makes no sense..let him play until it got so bad, that he had to be shut down. One in segment below does not even believe he got infection, but it is Celtics PR spin...hope that guy is wrong.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vzp0vQr7SkE

[bellerephon]

I see no reason to buy into conspiracy theories, it perfectly reasonable to think that what the Celts have told us is true. I agree that multiple surgeries are not a good thing, but keep in mind that this is not the result of a new injury, but merely finishing up what was done to correct the original problem. It was always likely that he would need to get the wire and screws removed at some point. It is not as bad as if he were having work done to correct a new injury.

[vjcsmoke]

The Celtics and Cavs sold damaged goods to each other.  So I'm not going to say one team was more underhanded than the other.  Disclosures were made right?  Doctors checked both players right?

I'm just glad that this is getting taken care of now and hope that Kyrie can make a full recovery because in his first season with the Celtics he looked like a perfect fit and and Ace trade by DA. 

Turns out there are some medical issues, but here's hoping for a full recovery to both of our all-stars Kyrie and Hayward!!