Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving left yesterday’s game against the Clippers in the first quarter after colliding with Blake Griffin. Irving clutched his left upper arm after the incident and was ruled out of the game with a left bicep injury. Cavs.com updated the situation with the following statement today:
“Irving traveled back to Cleveland with the team and was examined at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health this afternoon by Cavaliers Head Team Physician Dr. Richard Parker. Imaging revealed a strain in the long head tendon of his left biceps. Irving will now undergo a period of inactivity for his left biceps and be re-evaluated in two weeks.”
Losing their leading scorer (21.2 PPG) and playmaker (6.2 AST) virtually eliminates any chance of the Cavs making the playoffs as they are 4.5 games back of Atlanta for the final spot. Irving’s had a history of injuries even in the short time he’s been in the league. Hopefully he will bounce back quickly from this latest setback.
The bicep muscle attaches to the shoulder with two tendons, the long head and short head. The former connects to the top of the shoulder socket at the glenoid while the latter joins to a bony protrusion on the scapula called the coracoid process. Strains can occur in these tendons from repetitive motions and stresses or in Irving’s case, a sudden impact to the area.
Fantasy Impact
With most fantasy leagues entering round one of the playoffs, owners of Irving now have to look elsewhere for production. A good place to start is on the Cavaliers with point guard Jarrett Jack, who is likely to take over the bulk of Irving’s minutes. Jack has been inconsistent in his last 10 games with highs of 21 PTS and lows of 5 PTS on 22% shooting. But with more consistent minutes and playing with the first unit from the outset of the game should help Jack’s value in the coming weeks.
Other point guards to consider if they are still available include Jordan Farmar of the Lakers, Brian Roberts of the Pelicans, Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverely of the Rockets, and Reggie Jackson the Thunder.
A Man-Child's Ramblings 