No guarantee Kyrie Irving plays in Nets’ first game after All-Star break

Kyrie Irving missed the Nets’ last five games prior to the All-Star break, and he may not play in their first game post-break either.

After Kyrie Irving suffered a medial ligament sprain in his right knee on February 1 during the Brooklyn Nets’ game in Washington against the Wizards, the point guard was sidelined for the next five games. And there hasn’t been an update regarding his condition.

Initially, it seemed like Irving could return within a week of his injury, or at least take part in basketball activities. Not only was that not the case, Kenny Atkinson told reporters on Wednesday Irving may not even be back in Brooklyn’s lineup in their first game after the NBA All-Star break, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post:

I think we’ll wait until we come back to make that decision. There’s a lot of days and I don’t want to go out and say something that I would regret later. There’s obviously a lot of days in between, and we’ll see. When we get back, those first couple practices will determine where he is.

The Nets’ first game after the All-Star break is on Thursday in Philadelphia against the 76ers.