“I think the most frustrated person in this whole thing is Kyrie” - Sean Marks hopeful about the New York vaccine mandate being lifted
Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets is still unable to play home games at the Barclays Center due to the existing vaccine mandate by the state of New York. Nets general manager Sean Marks remains optimistic that the mandate will be lifted at some point this season.
In an online press conference after the blockbuster James Harden trade, Marks was asked about Irving's mindset moving forward and an update about his vaccination stance. The Nets GM noted that Irving is frustrated at not being able to play at home, and they are optimistic about him playing soon at Barclays Center.
"I think the most frustrated person in this whole thing is Kyrie. I mean, Kyrie is frustrated with the fact that he’s not able to be out there. He’s obviously hoping for things to look different in the future here and for him to be able to participate in home and road games," Marks said.
"The decision on the mandate, that’s obviously far above my pay grade and not something that I’m overly concerned about now. I mean, I think we're always going to be optimistic," Marks added.
The Nets GM explained that the way things are changing in the United States about mask mandates may lead to some vaccine mandates getting lifted. Marks is hoping Irving will be available come playoff time, wherein the Nets are still among the favorites to win it all.
"My hope would be that by the time we roll around the playoffs, if not sooner, the world looks like a different place and the more people that are vaccinated and so forth and we’re moving on," Marks said.
Sean Marks speaks on Kyrie’s limited availability https://t.co/Qx7cEoZuCR
Kyrie Irving eligible to play in just 10 games for the rest of the season
The Brooklyn Nets are currently struggling at the moment as they head into Saturday's game against the Miami Heat on a 10-game losing streak. The Nets are 29-26, but they have a favorable schedule until the end of the season. 17 out of their last 10 games are at home.
However, Irving is only eligible to play on the road due to his vaccination status. And to make matters worse, Irving can only play eight out of their last 10 road games. In addition to 17 home games, he is set to miss the road game against the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors.
Kyrie Irving has played in just 13 games this season, averaging 23.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.0 steals. In those 13 games, the Nets are just 4-9 since Kevin Durant was out due to a knee injury.
But with the Nets trading James Harden at the deadline, they have reinforced their roster with Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummong. It's interesting to see if Durant will be healthy after the All-Star break and Irving can play at home towards the end of the season.