Reinstated by the Nets at the start of 2022, Kyrie Irving has returned to the courts but remains for the moment limited to games away from Brooklyn. Will the New York franchise continue down this path until the end of the season? If the Woj is to be believed, there’s a way Uncle Drew will turn into a full-time gamer in the distant future.
Last night on the Bulls’ floor, the Nets Big Three met for the second time this season after winning Indiana in Kyrie’s opener this year. Results ? A real show of force on the part of Brooklyn, who went to teach the Taureans a little basketball lesson behind his three-headed monster, even if Drew generally remained in the shadow of James Harden and Kevin Durant. Clearly, this is the kind of perf that resonates through the NBA and explains why the Nets are among the big favorites when their three stars play together. But the question we continue to ask ourselves is the following: will this version of Brooklyn remain limited to matches on the go, a bit like a rock star tour? Or will we also find the New York Big Three at the Barclays Center in the future? According to Adrian Wojnarowski ofESPN, the second option is really not to be ruled out. According to him, the Nets are optimistic that Kyrie will be returning to the team for home games as well., who simply cannot play in New York at the moment due to his vaccination status not complying with local restrictions. But suddenly, does that mean that Uncle Drew finally decided to take the plunge to get vaccinated? Gently. Nothing like this has been put forward by Woj, although this is obviously the easiest path for Irving to replay in Brooklyn lands. Is there a scenario where the restrictions are lifted by New York City by the end of the regular season and the Playoffs? We don’t really count on it given the current health situation, but we can never rule out anything.
In addition to these possibilities, there is another option according to the insider: one where the Nets play an unvaccinated Kyrie Irving despite the restrictions still in place in New York, all this while paying a fine every game argued at home by Uncle Drew. So let’s say it right away, the Brooklyn franchise is not in that mood right now. And that’s understandable because in terms of image, it’s not the kind of initiative that would do the franchise good, especially since owner Joe Tsai has often stressed the importance of vaccination in this fierce struggle. against COVID. So this is a scenario that is difficult to envision today, however with the title chances increasing dramatically in the presence of Kyrie, the Nets will probably think about all the possibilities to have Uncle Drew full time. He is perhaps the difference between a competitive Brooklyn team and a near-untouchable Brooklyn team. The resounding victory yesterday in Chicago – against the leader of the East – is a big symbol, especially when we know that the Nets struggled a lot against the best teams in the League during the first part of the season. The Kevin Durant addiction, the ups and downs of James Harden, the various absences, the mediocre results at home… we still have all these elements in mind. And that is why the Kyrie Irving case will be one to follow closely in the coming weeks.
Uncle Drew has not further commented on his intentions regarding the vaccine. Kevin Durant said it himself recently, he doesn’t want to force his boyfriend to go to the doctor, but it’s clear KD would love to have Kyrie by his side 100% of the time. Maybe it will happen soon, who knows?
Text source: ESPN
Woj says there’s “real optimism within the organization” that Kyrie Irving will become a full-time player at some point this season. pic.twitter.com/xpAR42Bke6
— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) January 13, 2022
