How do the Cavs deal with Irving's injury?

Kyrie Irving - Wikimedia Commons

After the loss of superstar LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers needed someone that could carry the team and they got exactly what they wanted in the 2011 Draft with point guard Kyrie Irving. For two seasons, he has been their go to scorer and overall leader. Despite this young guard’s talent, the biggest factor that has held him back is the endless string of injuries he has suffered. Whether its his sore knee, his sprained shoulder or even his broken toe, Irving has been plagued with injuries game after game.

It became obvious that the Cavs needed another role player when they went up against the Toronto Raptors, both on Feb.27 and March 10. When Irving played the Raptors on Feb.27 the Cavaliers won by nearly 10 points. However, during their rematch on March 10th he was taken out in the 3rd quarter and from there on the Cavs lost their nine point lead and eventually the game. The coach believes that Irving’s injuries are the result of his aggressive play style. "He's still very young and his body hasn't fully developed," said head coach Byron Scott in an ESPN interview.

Irving’s injury troubles has made the Cavaliers question his consistency. So far, Irving has missed 29 games in his two seasons due to injuries and his absence is felt in the teams 7-22 record. An unfillable gap is made when Irving isn’t on the court, but the Cavaliers need to find someone that can lead the team. ”We just have to wait and see what happens,” said coach Scott. Right now, the Cavaliers are at loss without a healthy Irving. Either the Cavs get lucky in the draft again or key players pick up what Irving leaves behind.

In the 2012 Draft, the Cavaliers drafted shooting guard Dion Waiters from Syracuse. In the 12 games that Waiters played, the Cavs went 7-5 and he added 15.8 points per game on 51.4 percent shooting. He is a great replacement for Irving because he is able to score well and works hard defensively. Another key player that must step up is seven year veteran shooting guard C.J. Miles. While Dion Waiters plays in the point guard position, Miles must put up points at the shooting guard position. In the past ten games, six of which Irving missed, he has averaged 12.4 points. The combination of Waiters and Miles will prove to be enough to fill the offensive gap that Irving leaves behind. In their last game on March 20 against the Miami Heat, without Waiters and Irving, Miles scored 10 points to give the Cavs a 27 point lead over the Heat. Although they lost, it is easy to see how good Miles is and how he can affect the offense when he plays.

The Cavaliers need to change their offense so that it does not revolve around Irving. While Irving may be their team leader, they have players are capable of filling his role in his absence. The team can prosper if they use these key players to both help Irving and replace him when he is injured.

Contributed to by Alex Long