Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving will miss an indefinite period of time after suffering a setback on a shoulder injury that kept him out of 26 games earlier this season.
Irving had returned from the injury in mid-January, but Nets' Coach Kenny Atkinson said that the pain hasn't gone away.
"That's about all I can tell you," Atkinson said. "His shoulder continues to bother him. That's about the extent of it now."
"The shoulder is a tough thing, "I just think it was an on and off thing where it's bothering you. Some days you feel good, some days you don't feel good. But I think it got to the point it was, 'Hey let's see another specialist.'" Atkinson added.
When asked if Irving would potentially miss the rest of the season, Atkinson said that he "did not want to go there."
Atkinson confirmed that a timetable for a return in the season would become more clear after Irving sees a specialist.
Brooklyn has struggled with Irving on the court and off, although they have fared slightly better with him sitting out games, garnering a 17-16 record when Irving does not make the lineup.
The injury bug has plagued Brooklyn throughout this season and will remain into next season. Brooklyn's big free agency splash, which saw them acquire Irving and Kevin Durant, has been a gigantic bust through the first half to this season. Durant has been making progress on his injury, but the question remains on just how much vintage Durant will be left following Achilles surgery. The fact that Irving has missed time with a lingering shoulder injury does not scream confidence for a franchise that is barely holding onto playoff contention.
Typically, seeing a second specialist within a season is not good news.