"I hate that I even have to answer that question" - Kyrie Irving on not getting enough playing time with Brooklyn Nets co-stars Kevin Durant and James Harden
Kyrie Irving put on a show during Tuesday night's outing against the Phoenix Suns. Although the Brooklyn Nets came up short, the superstar guard made the game interesting as he kept the Nets competitive for a large portion of the showcase.
While Irving did have a great showing, his frustration with Brooklyn's current condition was evident in the postgame press conference. Given Irving's limited availability for the Nets, he has shared very little floor time with his co-stars. When discussing his thoughts on the matter, Kyrie Irving said:
"To be honest, I hate that I even have to answer that question. We think about it daily. It's not something that's shortsighted for us. We think about the long-term and how well we gel together as a trio. And when we say, "as a trio," we're not excluding anybody else on the team. But we just know that the energy runs through us when we're flowing out there and when we're playing."
"I think James (Harden) said it last year, there's not a lot of teams that can be out on the floor with us that can match up very well with us. That's just the confidence we have in one another when all three of us are healthy and we're playing at a high level,." he added.
We've only played a few games, I don't know if it's more than ten or anything like that, but it's definitely on our wishlist, man. We just have to stay patient and just not lose the confidence that all the pieces will come through together at the right time," finished Irving.
"I hate that I even have to answer that question. We think about it daily" - Kyrie Irving on how often he thinks about the fact that he, James Harden & Kevin Durant haven't played much together https://t.co/U0l1qnMdxY
With a 111-121 loss to Phoenix, the Brooklyn Nets have notched their fifth consecutive loss of the season. Falling to sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Nets have seen a major turnaround in their 2021-22 NBA campaign.
Kyrie Irving's contributions on a failing Brooklyn Nets team
Coming off a 26-point outing on a highly efficient 50% shooting night from the field, Kyrie Irving continues to be a key difference maker when on the floor with the Brooklyn Nets.
Kyrie Irving became available for the Nets this season following much controversy regarding his vaccination status. While Irving continues to be available for road games only, the Nets have certainly enjoyed the return of the superstar.
The Nets guard has played nine games with the side this season. While the Nets' record with Kyrie has dropped to 4-5 following the loss to Phoenix, Irving has registered a season average of 24.5 points and 5.4 assists per game.
KYRIE IRVING…Unguardable. 🔥
https://t.co/KSnf3J2JBJ
In this regard, what Irving said on the matter of Brooklyn being shorthanded rings true. A trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving are enough to give any team a run for their money. While Durant was healthy, the Nets also sat at top of the East.
Unfortunately, the Brooklyn Nets trio have only played 16 games total since coming together last January. Of those 16, only two games have been played as a unit this season.
On the surface, a team with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden shouldn’t need much more.
But the Big 3 has only played in 16 games since last January, and Game No. 17 isn’t coming any time soon. @krisplashed trib.al/TyShTKV
Although Irving continues to be a solid performer for Brooklyn, his limited capacity puts the Nets in a vulnerable position when they play at home. With Durant's MCL injury seeing him sidelined for an extended period of time, the Nets will have to continue to be patient before they can see their trio in action.