‘Hopefully it’s in the year of ‘25’

MEXICO CITY — Kyrie Irving entered his 15th season without a firm timetable for a return from his surgically repaired left ACL, but could he be back before the end of the calendar year?

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd gave a hopeful response Saturday during his pregame news conference when asked how his star guard will fit alongside Cooper Flagg once he’s cleared to return to the lineup.

“Kai is going to be a perfect fit with Cooper Flagg, when you talk about his skillset of being able to dribble and score,” Kidd said. “He also creates space on the floor for Cooper, and vice versa.

“We just can’t wait to get Kai back, at some point. Hopefully it’s in the year of ’25 — not ’26. We’ll see what happens, but I think those two will be a perfect match in the backcourt.”

Mavericks

Kidd’s comments are a little over a month removed from the Mavericks’ unified front on Media Day that Irving was “right on schedule” in his recovery, an attempt to slow down any anticipation for an early return to the lineup.

Irving was expected to miss multiple months of this season while he rehabs from a torn ACL he suffered on March 3. Typical ACL recoveries can range from at least nine to 12 months. Irving didn’t undergo surgery until March 26, so a December 26 return would place him exactly at the nine-month mark.

Despite his absence on the court, Irving has been visibly present away from it. He sits with his team on the bench during home games. He’s participated in individual workout sessions with assistant coach Phil Handy before games. He lends his voice to mentor Flagg, the 18-year-old rookie who’s tasked with playing point guard in his absence.

On Media Day, Irving said he communicated about a group of several other stars who also suffered serious leg injuries, including Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton. Lillard and Haliburton aren’t expected to play this season, but Tatum hasn’t ruled out the idea.

“I think all of us are trying to prove we’re alien-like or we can heal like Wolverine, so to say,” Irving said on Sept. 29. “For me, the best advice I got is, ‘Take your time. No timeline is going to be perfect. Don’t compare it to anyone else and just enjoy the process.’ That’s what I’ve been doing.“

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