The Cleveland Cavaliers got their first injury scare of the season causing the hearts of the entire fanbase to skip a beat or two. Panic set in when reports surfaced that Kyrie Irving had injured his ankle in practice and was currently wearing a boot. The Cavaliers immediately had the point guard undergo an MRI which came up negative along with the x-rays. While Irving's status is up in the air for the team's highly-anticipated matchup against the Miami Heat is up in the air, his long-term outlook should be ok.
Irving was quick to tweet out his status after the report surfaced. The point guard said, "Just a sprained ankle from practice, in a walking boot for precautionary reasons. Not that serious, I'm all good." There was just cause for panicking over the injury considering Irving has missed 49 games over the past three seasons for various injuries. If there was ever a time for him to remain healthy, it is now. LeBron James notes that the 2014 season for Cleveland was the 'Kyrie Irving Show' and he was merely just a player in it. After signing a max contract over the summer, expectations are high and fans are not looking for Irving to miss any lengthy periods of time.
The Cavaliers continue to work out just what their lineup and rotation will look like. One player with added expectations is Dion Waiters who survived an offseason of trade rumors. It was thought that the guard would be sent packing in the Kevin Love deal, but the Cavaliers favored his shooting talents over rookie Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett. Now, Waiters is a projected starter and excited for the opportunity.
"I've been able to play my game," Waiters said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. I've been able to attack when I want to, shoot when I want to shoot. So, nothing has really changed. We've been jelling well because everybody knows their roles. As long as we take care of what we need to take care of we'll be fine."
The Cavaliers now head to Brazil to face off against the Miami Heat, the first time that James will see his former team. The power forward downplayed the whole matchup and the hype surrounding it considering his old teammates, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, are still in South Beach. James is taking the approach that it is simply a chance to get better before the season begins regardless of the opponent.
"It's not much of an issue for me going up against Miami, I think," James said, via ESPN.com. "It's a preseason game. It's in Brazil so it's not really on an NBA floor, as well. But it gives us an opportunity to keep on continuing to broaden the game in a huge, worldwide aspect and it will be great for both teams."
