The Brooklyn Nets are currently second in the Eastern Conference and looking like a championship team. They have done it mostly without NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving as he continues to sit out because of COVID-19 mandates in New York. It was recently announced that Irving will return to the team for road games.
This is something that the Nets did not want at the beginning of the season. The tune around the front office has changed and they will have their All-Star point guard back. Irving returned to practice on Wednesday but is this the right choice for the franchise?
When the Nets brought Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to town, they knew what they were getting. Brooklyn was hoping to win championships with one of the best duos in the league. This was before trading for James Harden. Durant is arguably the best players in the world and continues to show it on a nightly basis. As for Irving, he brings a lot of baggage and this was clear since he left Cleveland.
It’s a red flag when a player wants to leave a team to get away from LeBron James. Then, it did not workout in Boston for Irving and he is causing drama once again in Brooklyn.
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To be clear, it is not wrong for a player to stand up for what he believes in. Athletes have a huge platform and should be free to use it however they want and for whatever cause they believe is right. With that being said, there should be consequences from your boss and job if you do not show up to work or follow certain mandates. That is what is currently happening with the Nets.
Irving was helpful in his return to the lineup against the Indiana Pacers, but Brooklyn allowing Irving to come back shows no credibility by the organization. It is crazy to think that a player will only be allowed to play in road games over the course of a season. Yes, we know there is a double-standard in the league when it comes to stars. We have seen it before. This is taking it to another level.
Let’s look at the team on the court. The Nets have dealt with issues with COVID-19, like many others in the league. They have been able to survive and still sit at the top of the East. This is going to continue as long as Durant stays healthy. When he has been out, Harden has stepped up and is playing good basketball. The return of Irving will be another storyline the team has to survive.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Nets Coach Reveals Big Plans For Kyrie Irving Against Pacers
It is clear that the Brooklyn Nets want to win and that is why they are making this move but it seems like an odd time. It is not like the team was losing and had to make call out of desperation. Now that Kyrie Irving is back, the team will have to mark it work with him as a part-time player.
How will this work in the postseason? How will it impact the rotation? There are questions to be asked that we should know the answer too soon.
