Players for the Brooklyn Nets are required to get vaccinated if they are going to play in home games this season or the 2 road games they will play at Madison Square Garden, yet, one of the best players on Brooklyn’s roster refuses to get the vaccine. Who is it, you ask. It’s Kyrie Irving, the man who claimed the Earth is flat. I do not think it is possible for the Nets to just hold Irving out of 43 games and run two different systems when Kyrie can play and when he can’t. If Irving gets the vaccine this conversation is useless, but as each day goes on it becomes less and less likely that Irving will actually get vaccinated. So if he doesn’t, what should the Nets do?
A trade seems like the easy answer, but does anyone want to acquire Irving, more and more cities are gonna require the vaccine for indoor events so yes Ben Simmons for Kyrie has been talked about and could make sense from a basketball perspective but if/when Philadelphia implements are vaccine mandate for indoor events, they would be in the same spot that Brooklyn is in now. Another issue with trading for Kyrie is that there are reports that if Irving were to be traded he would just retire entirely. So why would a team trade for a player who would seriously consider retirement and would likely retire just so he did not have to play for a different team? Finally, would Kevin Durant allow the Nets to trade Irving? I am not sure, so assuming Kyrie does not get the vaccine where does Brooklyn finish?
If Kyrie were available for every game this season, I would tell you that the Nets are the going away favorites to win the championship, with the 3 superstars they have to go along with Blake Griffin, Patty Mills, Bruce Brown, and Joe Harris. Now, that is still the case if Irving is able to play at some point. Assuming he does not, Brooklyn is still a contender, they are still very likely the favorite and they are likely my pick, but they are not the overwhelming favorite and they are not as dominant offensively as they could be with Kyrie. They do have James Harden and Kevin Durant but the Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday, they are also the reigning champions and have added guard depth with George Hill, Rodney Hood, and Grayson Allen. The Lakers, who I am lower on, have 3 stars in LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook and the Jazz and Suns are still hanging around, so the picture would definitely tighten up. Now if Irving does report and plays and the Nets are healthy, that is a really fun team to watch.
Kevin Durant, in my opinion, is the best basketball player on planet earth, his ability to score from wherever and whenever he wants is truly incredible, and at 7 feet tall, has an argument to be the greatest scorer in the history of basketball, oh yeah he also plays really good defense. James Harden is one of the best pure offensive players in the NBA. He is one of the most crafty scorers we have seen, a gifted passer, and an incredible ball handler. He does not have the same responsibilities he had in Houston so we do not see that same level of player that we saw then because Brooklyn does not need him as badly. Kyrie is still amazing, his handles, the ability to score, he is a great passer, when Kyrie plays, he is still awesome. Patty Mills, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, and Joe Harris all provide scoring in their different ways and guys like James Johnson, Bruce Brown, and Javon Carter provide toughness. Did I mention they added Cameron Thomas in the draft who has shown tantalizing abilities to put the ball in the basket. It is a loaded roster up and down, and I did not even mention Paul Milsap, who can play small ball 5 if needed. It is a loaded roster even if Kyrie does not play, one that is likely a favorite to win the title.
The Nets are going to be really good, but having Kyrie Irving be a part time player is silly. You are either all in or all out, vaccine beliefs aside, this is about the team and if you are not willing to get this shot for the team, you are effectively all out. A trade is possible, but unlikely at this point for a multitude of reasons. There are all kinds of statements I could make about Kyrie, but they have already all been said by various different people, so I won’t say them. One thing I will ask you is; is Kyrie Irving’s talent worth the headache he brings to each team he has ever played on?
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