3 issues for Brooklyn Nets to address in Kyrie Irving's absence in the 2021-22 NBA season
The Brooklyn Nets have definitely been affected by New York City's requirement of at least a dose of the vaccine for those 12-year-old or older to attend indoor events. The requirement itself has not hurt the Brooklyn Nets, but Kyrie Irving's unwillingness to receive the vaccine has definitely created issues for the team ahead of the start of the 2021-22 NBA campaign.
Irving was set to play only road games if he did not get the vaccine, as he would only be forbidden from playing at home without the vaccine. Today, the Brooklyn Nets announced that unless Irving is able to play in every game, he will be separated from the team.
Three issues the Brooklyn Nets must solve regarding Kyrie Irving's situation in the 2021-22 NBA season
Brooklyn Nets all-star guard Kyrie Irving won't be allowed to play in practices or games, general manager Sean Marks said Tuesday, strongly suggesting that he continues to run afoul of New York City's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for professional athletes.
gpb.org/news/coronavir…
Kyrie Irving has played in 74 games for the Brooklyn Nets since signing for the team in 2019. He played only 20 games in the 2019-20 NBA season before a shoulder injury hindered his campaign, while he appeared in 54 games last year while missing several outings due to personal reasons.
Now, if Kyrie Irving does not get the vaccine, he could miss the entire NBA season if he is not traded away to a city that does not require vaccination for massive events.
For the Brooklyn Nets' and GM Sean Marks' side, separating Irving from the team seems like a reasonable decision to make as the dynamic of only playing him in road games will definitely be uncomfortable for the entire team.
Looking forward, we will give you three areas the Brooklyn Nets have to solve on the basketball court without Kyrie Irving, whose basketball attributes are not part of the current issue.
Without further ado, let us take a look.
#3 Solve Kyrie Irving's connection with the organization
The Brooklyn Nets' decision on Kyrie Irving's situation for the 2021-22 NBA season is already known, and it will only change if the player ultimately gets vaccinated or if the team decides to trade him to a city without restrictions.
Irving is in his third year with the Brooklyn Nets after signing a four-year deal worth over $136 million. He has two years left on his contract and a salary of over $70 million over the two years.
Will the Brooklyn Nets allow him to remain unvaccinated and return to the team for the 2022-23 NBA season? or trade him for some value and get rid of his contract? It is definitely a situation that must be solved by the front office as it has to determine whether all the noise is worth due to Irving's basketball prowess.
#2 Focus on the positives found when Kyrie Irving was absent in the last two seasons
As mentioned before, Kyrie Irving has not been permanently available for the Brooklyn Nets in the last two seasons. Whether it was due to injuries or personal choices, Irving has appeared in 74 of the Brooklyn Nets' 144 regular-season games over the last two years.
In that span, the Brooklyn Nets have posted a 39-31 record in the regular season without the seven-time All-Star.
With similar sample sizes since the 2019-20 NBA season (70 games without Irving and 74 games with him), the Brooklyn Nets have posted a better Defensive Rating without Irving (111) than with the three-time All-NBA player (113.4).
The Brooklyn Nets are not a more talented team without Kyrie Irving on the court, but given the unfortunate situation generated before the 2021-22 NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets must start to think about the positives without him.