Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks went on WFAN in New York on Monday and expressed disappointment for Kyrie Irving's injury-riddled debut season in Brooklyn. Irving has played just 20 games and has dealt with repeated knee and shoulder problems, culminating in season-ending shoulder surgery.
Sean Marks on only having Kyrie Irving for 20 games this season:
“It is disappointing. Nobody’s probably more disappointed than Kyrie.”
— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) February 24, 2020
After seven wins over their past 10 games, Brooklyn (26-29) sits 2.5 games ahead of the Orlando Magic (24-32) for the No. 7 seed in the East.
Marks also praised Irving's effort and commitment. “Kyrie and I have had multiple heart-to-hearts and good conversations about how excited he was to be back here and play in front of a lot of family and friends on a nightly basis…None of us like to say this but it's a long-term approach and we give (Irving) a lot of credit for battling along. He tried and gave it all he could but this is something a part of a journey and we'll embrace it.”
Irving signed a four-year, $141 million max deal with Brooklyn last July. In limited action, he posted career-highs 27.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game (and 6.4 assists per game). The Nets went 18-17 without Kyrie (8-12 with him), largely carried by Spencer Dinwiddie (20.8 PPG) and their staunch defense.
Brooklyn will turn the page next season when Kevin Durant and Kyrie return, though what combination of Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and/or Joe Harris ends up alongside them remains to be determined.
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