Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

Game Theory 101: Why Kyrie Irving will likely choose to sit out the rest of the season

By David Early

NBA Boston Celtics Kyrie Irving (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
NBA Boston Celtics Kyrie Irving (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 23: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics reacts when no foul is called on the Los Angeles Lakers during a 108-107 Laker win at Staples Center on January 23, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 23: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics reacts when no foul is called on the Los Angeles Lakers during a 108-107 Laker win at Staples Center on January 23, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

The Player: In The Mind Of Kyrie

If you were Kyrie Irving and the discomfort in your knee was not healing appropriately with rest, and told that you needed metal pins removed from your knee what would you do? You might try rest first. Then eventually, you might want more information. You might want 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th opinions. You might really want to but have major reservations about playing, while risking any additional swelling or irritation.

More from Sir Charles In Charge

Maybe you’re very confident and believe that playing at 65 percent of your total level is sufficient enough to lead Boston to a title. Maybe the doctors told you that you could make your knee worse by playing on it but that that was not likely, and you are wondering if it’s ultimately worth pushing yourself through the pain.

Or maybe you have another vantage point and think that the risks associated with playing through a knee injury are not worth the possible threat to your long-term health, career, and legacy. Maybe you have your sights set on an MVP trophy or three. Maybe you realize your team is young and view the Celtics as a long-term dynasty that you can lead and it’s worth seeing this as a marathon not a sprint. Maybe you’re long-term greedy and want three MVPs and three Finals MVPs.

Afterall, you’re a free agent in 15 months and just saw how a nagging hip injury may have limited the earning potential and career of Isaiah Thomas, the player you were just traded for.

If I were Kyrie I’d have all this and much more swirling through my head. And ultimately, I’d probably not want to risk pushing through and maybe exacerbating something limiting and dangerous like a bad reaction to foreign metal objects in my knee. I learned last year how hard it is to beat the Warriors with Kevin Durant even when I was fully healthy. I think I’d want the surgery sooner rather than later unless doctors could promise me that I could not possibly complicate the procedure by exacerbating this injury; something which I don’t think any decent doctor would ever promise.

Verdict:

As disappointing as he may feel, Kyrie probably wants to opt for surgery sooner rather than risking any further complications to the procedure. The chances of winning a title at less than 100 percent are not worth the risks of exacerbating an injury and complicating an inevitable procedure.

Home/Boston Celtics