If the Cavs are to have a real chance at beating the Warriors in the Finals, they will need Kyrie Irving to be a lot healthier than he’s been so far in the playoffs. Irving has dealt with foot and knee problems throughout the playoffs and missed Games 2 and 3 of the Cavs’ four-game sweep of the Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Warriors have the league’s best defense, and not having another No. 1 option-caliber scorer to throw at them outside of LeBron James is something the Cavs might not be able to recover from.
Unfortunately, head coach David Blatt told reporters on Sunday that Irving isn’t quite there yet.Kyrie Irving took part in some of today’s practice. David Blatt says he’s still not himself yet.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 31, 2015
The advantage of this long layoff is that Irving has plenty of time to rest up and get treatment. But while the Cavs were able to handle the Bulls and Hawks without a full-strength Irving, this Warriors team is a much trickier proposition. It’s tough to see them taking four games if he can’t contribute at a high level. For the sake of having a Finals more competitive than the playoffs have been, hopefully he’ll make progress over the next few days before Thursday’s Game 1 in Oakland.
