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Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson has heard all the noise surrounding Kyrie Irving, who was reportedly not a good leader on the Boston Celtics this past season and rubbed teammates the wrong way.
Atkinson, however, isn't going to “prejudge” Irving. The Nets coach wants to get to know Irving himself, bring out the best in the All-Star guard and make sure he does everything he can to put Irving in a position to have an excellent 2019-20 season in Brooklyn.
Article Continues Below“I think that’s the mindset. Don’t prejudge,” Atkinson told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. “And that’s Kyrie, that’s DeAndre Jordan, that’s everybody.
“I’m starting to do my homework on him. It’s still recent. I think the challenge is to get the best Kyrie. I want him to have his best season ever and continue that improvement. And that’s tough, because he played well last year. I know there’s a lot of talk out there, but you look at his numbers and look at the way he played, he played really well. Definitely going to challenge him to keep improving.”
Kyrie Irving grew up in New Jersey and was a Nets fan as a kid. The six-time All-Star signed a four-year, $136.4 million contract with the Nets.
Kenny Atkinson is right when he says Irving had a good statistical season with the Celtics in 2018-19. Kyrie averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists while shooting 48.7 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from beyond the arc and 87.3 percent from the free-throw line.
The Nets are hoping Irving isn't a locker room distraction in Brooklyn. If Irving stays focused, they can be a top-four team in the Eastern Conference.
