For the first time this wild NBA season we're expecting Kyrie Irving to be in attendance for a Brooklyn Nets home game. Just not while available to play. You know, kind of like like how Ben Simmons made his epic return to Philadelphia, but just on the team's bench. A “sort of but not really” debut.

We still don't know where things stand in terms of Kyrie Irving getting the chance to play in home games. NYC Mayor Eric Adams has said in so many ways he appreciates the weird situation we're in, where visiting players who are not vaccinated can play in his city but local athletes cannot.

But while Adams has mostly pulled back on certain mask and vaccine mandates, he has not made the key change that would impact Barclays Center specifically…yet.

But one of the changes Mayor Adams made now allows Irving to at least attend home games.

Creating an even more visual, and glaring loophole. He can show up at the arena (like he did last night apparently watching his alma mater, Duke, take a massive loss) but he can't suit up.

So wait, what about during timeouts, can he stand on the court like everyone else? Can he greet everyone for handshakes and daps post game? 

Before a home game vs. RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and the New York Knicks, head coach Steve Nash was asked if he finds it kind of weird Irving can be in attendance, and sit on the bench, but not play.

“No, I'm just gonna stay out of it,” said Nash. “I don't want to wade into an area that I'm not an expert in.” But Nash mostly addressed what everyone was wondering. “I haven't seen [Irving] yet but I believe he's coming.”

Irving has logged 18 games this season, all on the road. And while Nets Nation has gotten their hopes up many times he'd receive the key news he can play despite not being vaccinated, it just hasn't happened. We've gotten into some Charlie Brown and his football territory with the updates.

As much as Mayor Adams has said he wants to see Kyrie out there, he also said he can't make exceptions for one player and adds that his city's COVID numbers are as low as they are in large part because of mandates. And that may all be fair. But how does Kyrie sitting on the bench help keep the numbers down, while him playing is a threat? Is it because you're exercising around people? And if that's a concern, why are road players allowed to play while not vaccinated? The rule raises as many questions as it answers.

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Nash talked about how the team handles hearing all of the reports that things might change, despite nothing having changed yet.

“We've been let down by this process a lot of times in a sense,” Nash said. “Like hoping and wanting him to be able to return so we have not really I think put ourselves in a position to think it's happening for sure, we just keep proceeding with the task that we can control.”
We tracked the latest, and talked about why folks like ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski feels there's still a sense of optimism among Nets that Irving will be allowed back full-time, despite no update from the City in the latest “Nothing But Nets” podcast. 
“Obviously we wish he was back yesterday but the reality is we only focus on what we can control,” Nash added. “You can't replace him so it's not a linear equation you try to play at a high level when he's not here by being more disciplined, maybe more scripted, maybe we'll try and win in slightly different ways than the talent that he provides us.”
Irving is only allowed to suit up for four more games this year. And then, presumably, the Play-In would start. Our co-host on “Nothing but Nets” thinks it's “obvious” that the Nets are going to be in that Play-In tournament. If so, they wont' want to play at home, or in Toronto, since Irving isn't eligible in either as of today.
“I think conditioning has improved in the last couple of weeks,” added Nash. So the team gears up for the stretch run. They're hoping Ben Simmons can ramp up and practice sometime this week. But he isn't even progressed to two-on-two yet. So they might be lucky to get him back before the 21st. So Kevin Durant will go it alone as the only star and try to keep this team's title hopes alive with the group he's got. But Irving will be around for this odd event.