Celtics’ Ainge: Irving should be OK for playoffs, but surgery looms

To any nervous Celtics fans jittery over the health status of All-Star Kyrie Irving, Danny Ainge has a message: relax.

With Irving having missed the second half of Boston's loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday because of left knee soreness, the team's GM admitted that while his star point guard might require surgery down the road, the Celtics do not expect Irving's knee to prevent him from playing in the playoffs.

"He has some surgery that may need to happen," Ainge said Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Toucher & Rich" program. "But maybe not this summer. Maybe the following summer or maybe the summer after that. I think that he could probably do it any time he wanted, but I'm not sure that it's needed at this moment."

Irving is expected to miss some upcoming action, though his specific status is unclear. He did not play in the Celtics' double-overtime loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. Several other Boston regulars also sat out, including Marcus Smart (thumb), Jaylen Brown (concussion), Daniel Theis (knee), Gordon Hayward (ankle) and Al Horford (illness).

Ainge also said Thursday that the organization knew at the time of the trade for Irving last summer that the five-time All-Star, who turns 26 next Friday, will need to have his knee monitored throughout his career.

"There was a lot of discussion (at the time)," Ainge said. "And that was a big part of it going forward too was Kyrie had the injury. So we knew there would be maintenance issues, but his long-term prognostication is good. He's going to have some maintenance issues here and there.

"We knew coming into this year that he probably wasn't going to be an 82-game guy. He was going to be a 72-, 75-game guy in order to keep him fresh for the playoffs. And thats what it's been. And we're just extra cautious. We have the good fortune of being extra cautious right now. And we want him fresh and healthy. And we think that he will be come playoff time."

After playing just one half Sunday vs. Indiana, Irving told reporters that he was relatively unconcerned about any long-term injury issues, saying he doesn't believe the injury will affect his preparation for the postseason, which starts in mid-April.

"It's just been aching for a little bit," Irving said. "I just think I need to take some time. ...

"I think (rest) will probably be the best thing, just instead of kind of hoping it gets better over the two or three days than it usually does. It's aching a little bit more than I wanted it to now, so I'm taking the necessary time."

"I'm not concerned. Where we are in the season, I'm pretty comfortable," Irving said. "I think that, competitively, I think that's more or less what I'm concerned about. When I actually do get back on the floor, I want to feel the level I expect myself to be at and I want to play at and being able to sustain it. Right now, I'm not able to do that. I just got to do that."

Asked about the possibility of eventually needing knee surgery, Irving replied, "I don't know. I hope not. I've been down that road before. I've had a fractured kneecap already. So I think taking games like this, being smart about it, probably will put me in a better position not to be out for a long period of time. That's the last thing I want to do."

Irving scored seven points Sunday on 3-of-6 shooting and grabbed four rebounds in 16 first-half minutes, but he did not join the team on the court when the second half began. He was ruled out shortly afterward.

The knee has been problematic for Irving throughout the season, and the 25-year-old most recently missed a March 5 win in Chicago because of it. Irving is the Celtics' leading scorer, and his average of 24.4 points per game ranks 11th in the NBA.

In other news, Ainge also revealed that Hayward had suffered a setback in his recovery from his broken ankle suffered in the season opener.

"Gordon is progressing in his rehab. He's doing great," Ainge said. "He's had like one setback for a couple of weeks, maybe a month and a half ago. Just we were progressing a little bit too fast, we thought. But other than that, his work ethic and his determination have been amazing."

Hayward had publicly updated his progress last week, telling reporters his next plateau was to run with no AlterG anti-gravity treadmill.

"I don't want to get people's hopes up," Ainge said. "He still is not back on the basketball court, and we have a month left in the regular season. So he's got a ways to go, but we're excited about his progress and his determination." —Field Level Media/Reuters