Michael Porter Jr. came away impressed after seeing Kyrie Irving back on the court, and his reaction offered a promising snapshot of where Irving stands in his ACL recovery.
Porter said on his Curious Mike podcast that he had been playing with Irving and was struck by how sharp the former Brooklyn Nets guard looked coming off the injury that wiped out all of last season.
“I was hooping with Kyrie yesterday, and this is off of his ACL," Porter said on his Curious Mike podcast. "That dude was so cold, bro.
I couldn't believe how he was moving out there. He was getting to the lane; there's all [seven] footers in there, and he was somehow [finishing] with the left.
Bro, it was nutty. It was crazy.”
Porter’s perspective carries some weight here. He has dealt with major injury issues himself, especially with his back, so he understands how much a serious setback can affect a player’s game.
Irving has spent the offseason attacking rehab, and he has been open about the work it has taken to get back. In May, he said on a Twitch livestream, "I am definitely close to being over at 100% in terms of my ACL recovery.
It's been a while now," Irving said on a Twitch livestream in May. "I'm so grateful that I've had the time to heal and just experiment with my body more on the court and off the court in the weight room & just pushing myself to the limit."
The 34-year-old is expected to stay with the Dallas Mavericks to open the season, though the source material notes that the team could eventually move him as part of a future-focused plan.
That said, there is still the natural question of what Irving will look like once the games count again. His game depends heavily on quickness, change of direction and touch, so expecting him to be at peak form the moment he returns would be a stretch.
Even so, the workout clips and offseason runs that have surfaced point to a player who still has plenty left. When Irving is right, he remains one of the NBA’s best three-level scorers, with a knack for finding his spots and finishing layups that most players simply cannot make.
In Other News...
Former Nets Vets Are Still Waiting On Two Very Different Outcomes
Late August has a way of thinning out the free-agent market, and four former Nets are still sitting in it. Seth Curry, Jeff Green, Drew Timme and Killian Hayes remain unsigned, each for very different reasons, which is part of what makes their situations worth watching. Curry is coming off injuries and has been linked to a possible return to Golden State, while Green is close to 40 and may be weighing whether his long NBA run has reached the finish line.
Timme is still trying to carve out a lasting place in the league, which gives his wait a different feel than the veterans ahead of him. Hayes, meanwhile, remains in limbo as the calendar turns deeper into the offseason, and the contrast among the four is sharp: one eyeing a comeback, one potentially eyeing retirement, one still fighting for a foothold, and one left with an unclear next step. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Revives The Nets What-If Fans Still Can't Shake
Kevin Durant recently revisited one of the biggest what-ifs in recent Nets history, and it was the kind of reflection that keeps Brooklyn fans circling back to that short-lived era. Looking back at the teams he has played on, Durant said the 2018-19 Golden State Warriors were the best on paper, with the 2021-22 Nets right behind them, a reminder of just how much talent Brooklyn assembled before everything had a chance to settle in.
The bigger story, of course, is what never quite happened in Brooklyn. Durant pointed to the injuries and availability issues that slowed the Nets championship push, the sort of disruptions that can unravel even a roster built to contend. He also said he still feels the sting of not winning a title there, which only keeps the conversation alive around what might have been if the group had gotten a cleaner run together. [Read more 🡒]
Nolan Traore Is Giving Nets Fans A Reason To Watch Closely
Nolan Traore has given the Nets a real offseason subplot worth tracking, and the buzz around him has only grown since Chaney Johnson spoke glowingly about the guards physical development and overall growth on a podcast. Traores rookie season was uneven at times, but he finished with signs of real progress down the stretch, averaging 8.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists while settling in after an adjustment period.
The one concern this summer was availability, since Traore missed summer league after a knee scope. Even so, general manager Sean Marks said he is expected to be ready for training camp, which keeps the focus on what kind of leap Brooklyn might be getting once the season begins. For a young guard still carving out his place, the next step feels less about flashes and more about whether the work he put in can show up when the games count. [Read more 🡒]