Despite being a member of the Brooklyn Nets all season, star point guard Kyrie Irving has played in a total of just 14 out of a possible 59 games during the 2021-22 season. Of those 14, zero have been played at his home court, at the Barclays Center.
Although that could soon be changing.
With New York City working on eliminating its vaccine mandate in the next few weeks, city mayor Eric Adams stated Irving would then be cleared to resume playing in home games for the Nets.
It’s a long time coming, with NBA commissioner Adam Silver agreeing last week that the mandates in place don’t make sense. If Irving can play in away arenas, why can’t he do the same thing at home? The logic never added up.
While there were plenty of rumors suggesting the Nets could feel inclined to trade Irving ahead of the deadline due to the frustrations of him not being available for home games, now that silly idea can go to waste.
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Impact of Kyrie Irving’s return to Barclays Center
Simply adding Kyrie Irving back into the everyday lineup will prove to have a major effect on the overall outlook of the Brooklyn Nets’ season. Teams routinely talk about the importance of building chemistry and maintaining cohesiveness throughout the year. Having to change not only the starting lineup but also the rotation in addition to minute allocation every other game is crazy.
Soon enough, head coach Steve Nash won’t have to be bothered with such tasks, instead being able to completely focus on the next opponent.
Meanwhile, a lineup featuring Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Ben Simmons figures to do some damage in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. They are currently in 8th place in the East, though that’s expected to change with Irving’s return to full-time status.
