Kyrie's Return

[uh_no]

THis has just been begging for a Poll:

what do you think will be the outcome of kyrie's injury

[Duvall]

THis has just been begging for a Poll:

No, not really.

[OldSchool]

I will be surprised to see him play again this season. He, K and the doctors should make 100% sure there is no risk of re-injury from the physical stress of playing elite baskbetball in the event the ligaments have not fully healed.

But I would come back next year if I were Kyrie. It's a lot more fun to hang out with your buds on campus and expand your intellectual horizons in classes (yes, papers and tests are a pain) than to go into the grind of the NBA. The NBA is a business, and the season and the playoffs are a grind. Yeah, it's a lot of money waiting for him but material things aren't everything. There is no way to replicate the opportunities for an intelligent young man at a place like Duke in company with your peers, in the NBA. And the NBA will still be there, barring some freak injury.

And especially for a young guard, one needs to gain as much physical strength as possible before diving into the NBA. I have wondered before if Shaun Livingston might not have been better off having had the college strength training and the lighter 30-something game schedule of college rather than being thrown into the NBA grind of back-to-back games and heavy travel over 82+ games. Or, maybe it would not have made a difference in the case of his particular injury; hard to say.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

No, not really.

Yea it deff has.

I voted he plays again this year and returns. Of course I have no proof for either of those things but it is just a feeling I got.

[Cameron]

All this optimism makes me happy. But 13 of you (at the bottom) need to have a bull session with Tony Robbins. Or at least Kevin Trudeau.

Let's pump it up. Go Duke.

[cptnflash]

Looks like I'm in the minority here, picking the least popular option which is that Kyrie is done for this year but comes back next year. The second part of that is wishful thinking, but apparently he is close friends with Austin Rivers and does seem to legitimately enjoy the college experience. So maybe there's a chance. But I think those that are expecting a return this year are probably going to be disappointed. Keep in mind that he hasn't run in two months. He will need weeks and weeks of conditioning after his toe is fully healed to be able to compete at this level.

[uh_no]

Looks like I'm in the minority here, picking the least popular option which is that Kyrie is done for this year but comes back next year. The second part of that is wishful thinking, but apparently he is close friends with Austin Rivers and does seem to legitimately enjoy the college experience. So maybe there's a chance. But I think those that are expecting a return this year are probably going to be disappointed. Keep in mind that he hasn't run in two months. He will need weeks and weeks of conditioning after his toe is fully healed to be able to compete at this level.

I agree...I think coach K's comments are the most damning, but it could be a facade. We'll obviously know more on friday. But I don't think he will be satisfied after 8 games as a blue devil and with his buddies coming in next year? Seems like the kid wants to shine and leave his mark here before moving on.

[NovaScotian]

the real question is if he doesn't play any more this season, will the school bother trying to get him a medical redshirt? i hope so, because a fifth-year kyrie would be a great veteran leader for our recruiting class in 2014.

[1991 duke law]

the real question is if he doesn't play any more this season, will the school bother trying to get him a medical redshirt? i hope so, because a fifth-year kyrie would be a great veteran leader for our recruiting class in 2014.

Hard to argue with someone from Nova Scotia. That being said, whether he plays this year will, I expect, be solely based on whether the toe is 100% healed (the point being that he will not take an iota of risk). If not, I do not see him stepping on the floor and I anticipate that he will declare for the draft after the season. Kyrie was never shy about his desire to jump early so I see no reason to be optimistic about his return if (which I speculate to be the case) he is projected to be a top 5 pick.

I sure would prefer the story line that my brother from Nova Scotia paints but...

[noyac]

Looks like I'm in the minority here, picking the least popular option which is that Kyrie is done for this year but comes back next year.

I picked this one as well. I just don't see him playing again this year. I think my gut tells me he is coming back but my brain tells me that he is going to the NBA.

I feel if Nolan were able to stay another year that Kyrie would be staying as well no problem.

[dahntaysdawg]

Hard to argue with someone from Nova Scotia. That being said, whether he plays this year will, I expect, be solely based on whether the toe is 100% healed (the point being that he will not take an iota of risk). If not, I do not see him stepping on the floor and I anticipate that he will declare for the draft after the season. Kyrie was never shy about his desire to jump early so I see no reason to be optimistic about his return if (which I speculate to be the case) he is projected to be a top 5 pick.

I sure would prefer the story line that my brother from Nova Scotia paints but...

Why is it that everyone is so quick to send Kyrie to the NBA but almost 100% agree that Zeller, Henson, and Barnes are coming back?

[muzikfrk75]

Why is it that everyone is so quick to send Kyrie to the NBA but almost 100% agree that Zeller, Henson, and Barnes are coming back?

Maybe because Kyrie is better than them?

[Duvall]

Maybe because Kyrie is better than them?

Sure, but that doesn't mean that the UNC players won't have a chance to also be drafted high.

[Kedsy]

Why is it that everyone is so quick to send Kyrie to the NBA but almost 100% agree that Zeller, Henson, and Barnes are coming back?

Being a guaranteed top 5 pick is a lot different than being a borderline lottery pick. If any of the UNC guys' stock rise to the point where they are no-brainer top 5 picks, then they'll probably leave too.

[DukeBlueHeart4]

Being a guaranteed top 5 pick is a lot different than being a borderline lottery pick. If any of the UNC guys' stock rise to the point where they are no-brainer top 5 picks, then they'll probably leave too.

Given that Barnes has finally started to show up he just may reach that level. He has to keep his level of play up though.


But, to speak to the original topic of discussion here, I voted that Kyrie returns to play this season and returns for next season. I see a kid who loves college and loves Duke when I look at him and how he has behaved as an injured player on the sidelines. That alone won't tell me anything conclusively but it's enough to give me hope. And why not hope?

[sdotbarbee]

Being a guaranteed top 5 pick is a lot different than being a borderline lottery pick. If any of the UNC guys' stock rise to the point where they are no-brainer top 5 picks, then they'll probably leave too.

I think maybe Barnes could rise to top 5 but I don't think Henson will, although I do think Henson is a top 10 pick. I think this is Henson's last year in baby blue, he has that long body and that "upside" the NBA scouts like. BTW I think Kyrie comes back this year but heads off to the NBA next year.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

I am still finding that Barnes is predicted top 5 for the NBA in most major scouting sites I go to. Henson is usualy lottery as well but Zeller I have yet to see in there.

[BleedsP287]

Plays and returns (voting with my heart, I'd say it's better than even money he plays in the post season, and less than even money he returns). Both would be sure great to see. Either way both Duke and KI will be just fine.

[gep]

I went with "out and heads to the NBA". I think the coaching staff, medical staff, and most of all his family, all want Kyrie to be healed before strenuous basketball activity. I'm not sure where he will be before April 2011, but I think everyone will err on the side of caution.

Also, while I acknowledge all of the stuff like Kyrie really enjoys being a part of the Duke team (obvious to me watching the games), likes Duke/school (I've only read this), great teammate (again, mostly only read this)... I think both he and his family realizes that it only takes an injury (and this one came as MOST unexpectedly) to derail future NBA hopes... that why take the chance on another college season? Whether he plays or not this season, I believe he's gone to the NBA.

I REALLY enjoyed watching his 8 games... what a pleasure. But if he does end up in the NBA next year, we all have another reason to watch the NBA...