Kyrie Irving Sidelined Monday for 'Injury Management'

Underdog NBA just dropped the news that Kyrie Irving is officially out for Monday's game with the dreaded injury management tag.

The Dallas Mavericks are suddenly missing their star point guard, and anyone holding a ticket for Monday night is getting a slightly watered-down product.

"Kyrie Irving (injury management) listed out Monday."

You do not just easily replace what Irving brings to the floor. He has been putting up 21.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.4 rebounds a night. That kind of production cannot be replicated by a guy off the end of the bench who usually only sees the court when the arena is already half empty.

When a number 11 jersey is missing from the lineup, the sportsbooks panic. A star sitting out shifts the point spread, the moneyline, and the total score faster than a referee blowing a whistle on a clean block.

The modern era of injury management is objectively hilarious. We have reached a point where a guy is not actually hurt, he just might be hurt in the future if he plays basketball today. It is like calling out of work because you might get a headache around 3 PM.

The Mavericks will have to figure out how to survive Monday without their primary ball-handler. Keep an eye on the injury report for the rest of the week to see if this management actually cures the phantom ailments before their next tip-off.