Kyrie Irving's return could be near as he intensifies rehab, and the Mavericks anxiously await his presence and leadership on the court.
The Dallas Mavericks have not had the start to the season that they were hoping for, and it is due in no small part to the amount of injuries the team has suffered.
And one of the most notable players to be sidelined is superstar veteran point guard Kyrie Irving.
The future Hall of Fame guard tore his ACL in his left knee in a game against the Sacramento Kings in March of last season where he came down on the foot of Jonas Valančiūnas and saw his knee buckle.
He was a big part of the team's identity after Luka Dončić was traded, and the team wanted him to be a mentor to Cooper Flagg in his rookie season on the court.
So Dallas is probably absolutely ecstatic with the recent developments regarding Irving's rehab.
According to multiple reports, Kyrie has been "ramping up" to come back to practice hopefully sooner rather than later. Some also say he has been practicing against "dummy defenses."
But let's face it, Kyrie can make anybody playing defense on him look like a dummy when he is healthy and at the top of his game.
In the 50 games he played in last season for Dallas, he averaged just under 25 points per game, and was named an All-Star for the first time since the 2022-23 season. He also did so on 47 percent from the field and 40 percent from three, which is very typical of him to shoot efficiently.
Many thought that after the failed experiment with the Brooklyn Nets big three of him, Harden, and Kevin Durant, that the point guard would fall off and never be the same as he once was.
But that has not been the case.
He has redefined himself and become a veteran presence that most teams would love to have both in the locker room and on the court.
And if they could get him back on the floor soon, he could play his first games with Flagg and mentor the 19-year-old while he is still the new kid on the block.
Because it may not be that long before he will be in his prime and will be able to play circles around his fellow Duke Blue Devil.