Brooklyn Nets star point guard Kyrie Irving reminded everybody Tuesday why he's worth all the drama while simultaneously reminding everybody why that drama is so infuriating.
While the Nets aren't in a must-win situation right now, they really needed to come up with a win over the Charlotte Hornets ahead of what will be an emotionally charged tilt against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. Brooklyn entered the game 32-33, and a loss would have had them just percentage points ahead of the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 10 seed.
With Tuesday's game taking place in Charlotte, Irving was able to suit up as he continues to be a part-time player due to New York City's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The enigmatic Nets point guard put forth his best performance of the season, exploding for 50 points on a ridiculous 15-of-19 from the field, 9-of-12 from 3-point range and 11-of-13 from the foul line. Irving also handed out six dimes and was a game-best plus-14. It was a historic performance:
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When Kyrie Irving has it going, there aren't many players who are more fun to watch in the NBA. He has a complete bag and routinely makes defenders look silly with his handles, all while showing off unlimited range with his jumper. It's an experience watching him when he has it going.
Unfortunately, we haven't seen Irving get it going often this season. He has only appeared in 17 games, averaging 26.2 points, 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 47.7% from the field and 40.3% from 3-point range. Brooklyn would have loved to have that production in the lineup all season, but Irving's refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine amid the NYC mandate first kept him out of the lineup entirely and now continues to keep him out for games in New York. He also can't play in Toronto.
Irving continues to take a staunch stance against getting a safe vaccine, and he's just one of very few holdouts in the NBA left. You can certainly argue the NYC mandate doesn't make sense in some ways, specifically in that unvaccinated visiting players can play, but Irving could have fixed this issue long ago by simply getting the jab.
Irving's refusal to do so reportedly played a role in James Harden's frustration, which resulted in his desire to go to Philly. The Nets did get another star back in Ben Simmons in that trade, but he's still not ready to play yet and will have major question marks when he returns. Time is running out for this Brooklyn team to get in important reps before the postseason.
Speaking the postseason, while there's apparently some optimism that Irving could become a full-time player again, the current situation wouldn't allow him to participate in a play-in tournament game in Toronto. And what if he's actually not able to play in a win-or-go-home game?
This all just makes for an extremely frustrating situation, especially after watching him dominate his way to a 50-burger the other night. We know how good this Nets team could be, but Kyrie's situation continues to throw a wrench in it, and it certainly didn't help when Kevin Durant was out with his knee injury.
Perhaps this all works out for the Nets and they make a run to the title. They certainly have the top-level talent to do so, if they actually can all get on the floor together. Building the necessary chemistry to make a title run, though, won't be easy.
Kyrie Irving has been at the center of all this, and the Nets are just going to have to hope he'll actually be cleared for full-time action. Otherwise, this frustrating season will stay frustrating for Brooklyn, and it's also frustrating for fans of the game who just want to see Kyrie work his magic on a nightly basis.
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