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The Brooklyn Nets are set to face the team who knocked them out of the playoffs and went on to win the NBA championship in the Milwaukee Bucks. Brooklyn is 24-12 overall, second place in the East. The Bucks, led as always by Giannis Antetokounmpo, are 25-15. But fans are still getting used to the fact that Kyrie Irving has returned to this team, and wondering how exactly it will look having a part-time player in an NBA rotation.
For example, the Nets have the second game of a back-t0-back in Portland coming up on the 10th. It wouldn't be shocking if they rested one of Kevin Durant or James Harden for that cross-country trip. Especially with a big showdown against first place Chicago the following game. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine's Bulls have defeated the Nets twice this year so they'd likely need their big three fresh to steal that one.
Earlier in the season, head coach Steve Nash shared his mindset on managing his stars' minutes.
“We definitely want to pick our spots and try to protect [our key players] at times,” Nash said. “But early here I think the signs are positive and hopefully we can create some sort of template where everyone feels confident that we’re gonna get through the season in a whole way.”
Durant has only missed two games to injury, and three to protocol. The Nets don't tend to rest him this season like they did last year. But maybe that will change moving forwards. So with KD and Harden penciled into just about every game, how about the rotations? Do they try to dumb it down and make simple home-road rotations, or do they create an entirely new scheme because of Irving's presence? Nash said he won't be blowing anything up and wants to keep it all as simple as possible.
“I think it's to be simple. Two things, I think one,” said Nash, “I think keeping it simple is best for everyone. I think two, something's always going on with our squad and availability so we're mixing and matching often seemingly.”
"I think it's to be simple. Two things, I think one, I think keeping it simple is best for everyone. I think two, something's always going on with our squad and availability so we're mixing and matching often seemingly."
-Steve Nash won't scrap his rotations with Irving back.
— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) January 7, 2022
What else? How about the player's mindset? For example, might they not bring the same intensity to Nets' home games without Irving around? Might it just not be as much fun without Irving?
“I hope it's not that way,” admitted Nash. “I don't know that our guys really even take a pause to think about if we're home or road. I think it might get their juices going to get in the building on the road be like ‘oh yeah we got Kyrie tonight.' But I don't think they're sitting at home going “no fun at home without Kyrie, fun on the road with Kyrie. I really don't think they think that way….we just have the added bonus of having a terrific player join us on the road.”
Nash mimed a mopey player pointing to dates on a calendar on his couch when he said that.
"But I don't think they're sitting at home going 'no fun at home without Kyrie, fun on the road with Kyrie.'"
-Steve Nash jokes about how much fun his guys will have w/ or w/o Kyrie Irving. pic.twitter.com/2EVpzhO7xL
— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) January 7, 2022
So for now, they'll look to make their rotations simple. Doing it the way they've done it all year, trying to cobble it together without Irving. Then introducing some Irving nitro to the Nets lineup for away games, looking to remain poised and execute. But fans can point to the calendar and make note of the extra fun games even if Kevin Durant and James Harden won't be. Kyrie in? More fun. Kyrie not in, less fun.
