Wednesday is a big day for the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are scheduled to pay a visit to the Indiana Pacers tonight. Normally a game in early January doesn’t mean much, but this is one that plenty of eyes will be on because point guard Kyrie Irving is expected to make his much anticipated season debut.
Irving has not yet played with the Nets this season because he is not eligible to be a full-time player. Because he remains without a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine, he is ineligible to play in games at Barclays Center, Madison Square Garden or in Toronto.
Originally, the Nets had said that if you are not eligible full-time, you would not be playing. They backtracked on those comments and welcomed Irving back, as he started the process to return before Christmas.
All eyes will be on the Nets, who were hit hard by positive COVID-19 tests, which played a part in allowing Irving to return. The closest a team has ever come to having to compensate for a part-time player was when the Los Angeles Lakers only had Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for games in California because of a work-release program.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Kyrie Irving To Make Season Debut Against Indiana Pacers
It will be interesting to see how the Nets, who are on a three-game losing streak, handle this situation. Head coach Steve Nash would not say whether Irving would be in the starting five or coming off the bench. But, he did reveal that they have some big plans for their All-Star point guard.
“I don’t think it’s where he can play 38 [minutes],” Nash said after Wednesday’s shootaround. “But I think he can play a big chunk of the game. He’s played a lot — he’s had three or four full court days with the 5-on-5, so I think he’s capable of playing extended minutes, but not necessarily his customary high 30s.”
Getting Kyrie Irving back in the mix, even as a part-time player, will make the Brooklyn Nets a more dangerous team. It will also help lessen the burden on Kevin Durant and James Harden, who have been doing a lot of heavy lifting, especially recently, given how shorthanded the team was.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Kyrie Irving To Make Season Debut Against Indiana Pacers
Nash detailed a little more of the thought process that went into bringing Irving back into the fold after originally deciding he would not be a part of the team.
“I think when we realized how much stuff was thrown at us, COVID, COVID got dicey,” Nash said. “We ended up having 13 players who had COVID. We were going around signing a bunch of 10-days when we have a guy who can play for us, so what’s the difference between a 10-day and a guy — those are part-time players too.
“It was an opportunity to bring [Irving] back in the fold and use a resource that we have that we weren’t using. So — everything has been in flux this season and last season so I think there’s the other case to it too. We have been adaptable. We’ve found solutions. We’ve found ways to work through situations. We’re going to bring him back in now.”
LATEST NBA NEWS: Kyrie Irving To Make Season Debut Against Indiana Pacers
It will be interesting to see how Nash handles his rotations on the road compared to what he has been doing and will be doing in home games. There will certainly be plenty of questions asked, but if the Brooklyn Nets can keep winning at a high rate, no one will bat an eye at Kyrie Irving being a part-time player.
