Nets keep Kyrie Irving out vs. Mavs for right shoulder ‘maintenance’

NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving is out for the Nets’ matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. The team announced Irving was out due to right shoulder injury recovery, though Nets coach Steve Nash said he doesn’t think the injury is serious. It is the same shoulder Irving had surgery on last season, though the All-Star guard has not re-injured that shoulder this season.

“I think it’s maintenance. He knows his body. He discussed it with us. He has a history with that shoulder,” Nash said pregame. “We’re just taking the necessary precautions to keep up the maintenance with that shoulder, but I don’t think it’s anything more than that. So I’d expect him to play next game, and if not, I don’t think this is a thing that’ll linger into the All-Star break.”

Irving played just 20 games last season due to a right shoulder impingement he said eventually developed some bursitis. He had season-ending shoulder surgery last February and returned with Nets star Kevin Durant for the start of this season.

Durant also missed Saturday night’s game against the Mavericks with a hamstring injury and will be out until after the All-Star break. Luckily, the Nets traded for James Harden, who has experience shouldering the lion’s share of a team’s offensive responsibilities dating back to his time as an MVP on the Houston Rockets.

Harden has re-entered the MVP conversation early into his time with the Nets. He has averaged averaging 25 points, 11.5 assists and 8.5 rebounds per game through his first 20 games with his new team. Without Durant and Irving, Harden led the Nets to a 24-point comeback victory over the Phoenix Suns, posting 38 points and 11 assists, including the game-winning step-back 3-pointer that sealed the deal.

“He’s capable of a whole lot on the basketball floor, makes his teammates better,” Nash said. “But it can’t be James alone. We’ve got to have a good team performance. Guys have to step up and play well on both sides of the ball if we want a chance at winning against a very good team.”

The Nets are riding an eight-game winning streak and are 15-6 since the Harden trade entering Saturday night. The Nets have also gotten assists from its reserves.

Landry Shamet has hit his stride, shooting 40% from 3 in the month of February. Reserve combo guard Tyler Johnson has also cracked the Nets’ rotation as a full-court defender and timely spot-up shooter.

The Nets have had a number of players in and out of the lineup for a variety of reasons, and their best player has been out seven of the last eight games. It’s more of the same for a Nets team used to adjusting on the fly.

“I think this has been sort of consistent for us. I don’t think it’s a big departure,” Nash said. “I think the guys are ready for us to throw out different line ups and have different people out of the line up. So, I don’t think guys are that affected by the change. I think they’re more used to the kind of inconsistency with our availability and it’s no big deal.”