Brian Scalabrine on Kyrie Irving changing the scenario for Brooklyn Nets: “I just didn’t think he’ll be able to do it for this long ”
Brian Scalabrine discussed how Kyrie Irving changed the scenario for the Brooklyn Nets on Sirius XM NBA radio. The former NBA champion spoke with veteran journalist Frank Isola about the Nets' 10-game winning streak and Irving’s role in that run.
“I just didn’t think he’ll be able to do it for this long,” Scalabrine said.
The Nets (23-12) defeated the Atlanta Hawks on the road 108-107 on Wednesday as they won for the 14th time in their last 15 games. Brooklyn is now in second place in the Eastern Conference standings, only two games behind the first-place Boston Celtics (25-10). The team’s recent surge has a lot to do with the play of Kevin Durant and Irving.
Durant has been steady all season, but the question mark was how things would go with Irving. Since returning from an eight-game suspension last month, Irving has been the steady No. 2 star that was expected of him when he got to Brooklyn.
"It's a completely different team"
@TheFrankIsola & @Scalabrine break down the Nets' 10-game winning streak on The Starting Lineup. https://t.co/lNOAFW0mTv
Irving has been quiet off the court and has been just as good as he has always been on the court. He is averaging 26.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He has played 25 games this season, almost as many as he played in all of last season (29). He and Durant’s one-two punch is what the team has hoped for, and it is once again looking like a championship contender.
Kyrie Irving playing for a contract
Kyrie Irving could be the hottest unrestricted free agent this summer. He was unable to secure a long-term deal in the offseason, and the Nets could not find a trade partner for the All-Star guard.
Irving is making $36.9 million this season and is looking to get another max contract. Teams have been reluctant to offer Irving that type of deal due to him not being on the court that much over the past few seasons (20, 54 and 29 games).
This season, Irving has been available for the majority of Nets games and is playing at a high level.
With Irving and Durant on the same page and Brooklyn's young roster, will they let Irving go or offer him a deal that could make him stay? What will other teams offer the Nets in a sign-and-trade to try to get Irving? The Brooklyn Nets have the advantage in that they can offer him the most money in free agency. If the Nets' success continues, the demand for Irving will only rise.