Kyrie Irving Injury Update & Video: Latest Blow For Troubled Cavaliers Franchise; Out 3-4 Weeks

The Cavaliers just earned more balls for the lottery.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving will be out up to four weeks after spraining his left shoulder in the 100-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Irving ran into Raptors rookie Jonas Valanciunas during the third quarter while driving the baseline. X-rays taken after the game were negative, but an MRI revealed a left Acromioclavicular (AC) sprain. That's a mouthful, but it'll be even harder to swallow since the young phenom Irving was the only reason to go to a Cavs game. Team doctors project him to be out 3-4 weeks and since we're in the final month of the regular season, Irving may be shut down for the remainder of the season. It's not a prospect that Cavaliers' Coach Byron Scott was fond of.

We just have to wait and see what happens," Scott said. "I don't want to speculate and say, 'Hey, if he can get back, he'll get back. If he can't, he can't.' We're just going to have to wait until it's completely healed and go from there."

The shoulder sprain is just the latest injury for Cleveland's star in the post-Lebron era. Irving, 20, earlier this season missed 3 games with a hyper-extended knee and 11 more with a broken finger. Last year, Irving earned Rookie of the Year honors, despite missing 11 games with a sprained right shoulder and 4 games with a concussion. He also broke his hand punching a wall during a summer practice.

Sitting him out for the season would also increase the Cavaliers' chances of obtaining a top prospect during the NBA Draft, not that the Cavs need any help in that regard. This season, Cleveland has a record of 21-42. Irving is averaging 23 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds a game, but the rest of the team are rentals and they play like it. As the product on the floor gets worse by the night, it may be better to let Irving sit this season out the way the rest of the team has done all season.