The Boston Celtics will be without star guard Kyrie Irving for the foreseeable future. On Friday, it was announced that Irving would undergo a minimally invasive procedure on his left knee, which has been bothering him.
The first thing that comes to mind is whether or not there is such a thing as a “minimally invasive” surgery on a knee. Although technology has advanced quite a bit, the hope is that this surgery is swift and simple, and that Irving can get back to full speed by the time the playoffs arrive.
As of now, we don’t know how long Irving will be out but it’s not expected to be long-term. The Celtics have already been battling without him, which is why their betting odds to win the NBA Championship have tumbled to 20/1 at BetDSI Sportsbook. The Celtics started the season like they were shot out of a cannon, going 22-4 in their first 26 games. However, they are 24-19 since, which means they’ve barely been a .500 team since that hot start. As a result, their odds to win the title have already tumbled. Losing Irving for a short period of time won’t impact that.
In terms of the day-to-day betting lines, Irving has already missed the Celtics last four contests and the game odds have been adjusted. He’s worth at least a couple of points on the spread, though, depending on the opponent.
The Celtics will clearly miss Irving, who has played like an MVP player at times this season. Fantasy players should run to pickup Terry Rozier – although he’s likely owned in mostly leagues by now – as he’s been doing an admirable job filling in as a starter. In seven games as a starter, Rozier has averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 3.0 threes, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.
The procedure is expected to take place on Saturday and we should learn a timeline for how long Irving will be out at that point.
