Beginning the new NBA season 7-4 and as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets are definitely pleased with the way their team has come together early on this season, but there is still a massive hole to be filled with Kyrie Irving sitting out.
Per New York City guidelines, all New York athletes playing in Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden must be vaccinated, otherwise they are deemed ineligible and not allowed to participate in any indoor functions. Irving is currently unvaccinated and while he could participate in practices and play in away games, the Nets are wanting “all or nothing” pertaining to their All-Star guard.
Before the regular season began, the Nets as an organization made an announcement on Irving’s situation and they said in a statement that he would not be an active member of this organization until he complies with New York City rules.
“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose. Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability. It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and remain true to our long-established values of togetherness and sacrifice.”
“Our championship goals for the season have not changed, and to achieve these goals each member of our organization must pull in the same direction. We are excited for the start of the season and look forward to a successful campaign that will make the borough of Brooklyn proud.”
Brooklyn Nets’ general manager Sean Marks on Kyrie Irving’s status prior to the start of the regular season
Being championship contenders dating back to the end of last season, the Nets definitely took a hit to begin the year without Irving in their lineup and are still trying to figure things out. Kevin Durant has been spectacular and it is crazy to think that after suffering an Achilles tear two years ago that he is a better player now, but that seems to be the case with one of the best pure scorers in NBA history.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: This Nets-Pistons Trade Is Headlined By Kyrie Irving To Detroit
This is Durant’s team and he is leading the Nets right now with James Harden being his “right-hand man”, but can this team truly beat other contenders like the Bucks, Heat, Bulls and others in the playoffs without Kyrie Irving on the floor?
If Durant or Harden get hurt, the Nets will be left extremely thin in terms of scoring talent/facilitators on their roster, which is why Irving being that third All-Star was key for this team. Not only is he one of the best point guards of this generation, but he provides a lot of stability to the Nets roster, something they currently do not have right now.
Since the season has begun and Kyrie remains adamant on staying true to his beliefs of getting unvaccinated, the Brooklyn Nets have taken some trade calls of teams inquiring about the All-Star guards availability, but no trade talks have escalated to the point where the Nets are actually interested in trading him.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: This Nets-Pistons Trade Is Headlined By Kyrie Irving To Detroit
It is going to be interesting to see what happens with the Nets’ All-Star over the next few months, as he could very well end up sitting out the entire season. Who knows what is actually going to happen, but let’s take a look at a trade scenario that the Nets could receive from the Indiana Pacers that was put together by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey.
