Nets guard Kyrie Irving will be day-to-day as he recovers from a fracture on the left side of his face that happened during practice Tuesday, the team announced.
Irving took an elbow to the face while playing in a pickup game. He was taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation, though Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said the team was just doing its due diligence.
UPDATE: Kyrie Irving has been diagnosed with a left side facial fracture, which he sustained yesterday during workouts. He is currently listed as day to day.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 25, 2019
“I think this is a case of us being cautious with all our guys," Marks said Tuesday (per the New York Post). "A stray, inadvertent elbow playing pickup games — yes, I did see it — those type of plays happen frequently in the same game. This is just a case where he caught the elbow and now we’re going to do our due diligence.”
Marks also gave Irving high praise for his leadership since signing with the Nets in free agency. He said the guard has been "religious" in workouts and can already see a strong sense of camaraderie building between the veterans and young players.
Irving has dealt with injuries to his face twice before during his NBA career with the most recent coming during the 2017-18 season. He was elbowed in the face during a game while playing for the Celtics, resulting in a minor facial fracture. He also broke his jaw in 2012 while playing with the Cavaliers.
The Nets officially start training camp Saturday, with their first preseason game scheduled for Oct. 10 against the Lakers in China.