Kyrie Irving suffered the most brutal injury of his career earlier this year when he tore his ACL. After the injury, Irving is expected to return late next season.

When Irving first got injured, it felt like Nico Harrison’s plan to contend for a championship with him and Anthony Davis had failed.

While that proved to be true for the season, the Dallas Mavericks’ luck came through in the NBA Draft. After winning the #1 overall pick, the Mavericks added Cooper Flagg to their stacked roster.

The star seems to have bought into the vision, as Irving re-signed for $119 million, taking a slight pay cut to help the Mavs build a strong roster.

But where exactly is Kyrie Irving when it comes to his recovery journey? As it turns out, Nico Harrison knew all along how his rehab would go.

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Dallas Mavericks’ President of Basketball Operations, Nico Harrison, spoke to ESPN during the team’s Summer League game against the Charlotte Hornets.

When talking about Kyrie Irving’s recovery, he admitted that Irving was ahead of schedule on his recovery.

The Mavericks knew he would be doing well because of his mentality. However, Harrison admitted they do not want the point guard rushing back as much as he is eager to get back on the court.

“Kyrie is ahead of schedule, but we kind of knew he would be because of the way he attacks his rehab.

“He’s going 2-3 times a day. But we don’t want him to rush it, as much as he wants to rush it. He’s going to be fine.”

As much as this news is great for the Mavericks, they must proceed with caution. Irving sustained an ACL injury, one of the most devastating in basketball.

Several players have torn their ACL ligament, only to come back too soon and become injury-prone. Derrick Rose in 2012 is a perfect example of this.

The Mavericks should rely on Davis and Flagg to keep them competitive next season until Irving can make his return.

Once he does, Irving, Davis, and Flagg will make the Mavericks contenders. However, rushing Irving back earlier than when he is fully fit could cause him to suffer a setback and get hurt again.

The Mavericks have the depth, but they must show patience and keep Irving on the sidelines until he is fully healthy.