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Jamal Collier
Milwaukee – Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd called Kyrie Irving’s torn as a “strange accident” and refuted any perceived connection between the increase in the game time of the star guard and the injury.
In the 10 games before Irving was injured Monday against the Sacramento Kings, he was averaging 39.3 minutes (compared to 35.9), the largest amount of the NBA during that period, which began after the office of Dallas de Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaking before the confrontation on Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, Kidd said he did not appreciate any connection between the increase in Irving in the game time and the injury that the season ends.
“We are talking about a work,” he said. “Not many before that. It is a strange accident, this is how it should be informed. We are informing about conspiracy theories. We want our stars to play. This is not a rest league.”
Irving had been the most consistent player of the MAVs this season. He was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 36.1 minutes, and had played in 50 of the 62 games of the team. He was selected for his ninth All-Star team in February.
“Kai is our leader,” Kidd said. “Kai was also playing at a high level; maybe some of the best basketball he has played in his career. We cannot speak from both sides and say that our stars do not play enough minutes and the boys do not play enough. Rest. But now we are saying that they play too much.”
Dallas is already playing without Anthony Davis, who left his only game with the team on February 8 due to an injury to groin. Detck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and Kai Jones have also been outside.
Against the Bucks, the Mavericks had only eight healthy players available and ended up losing, 137-107.
