At this point in the season, the Brooklyn Nets haven't exactly lived up to the lofty expectations many had on them before the start of the campaign. They just haven't looked like the juggernauts many of us believed they would be, and there's no denying that Kyrie Irving's absence has had a lot to do with this.

Nets head coach Steve Nash got brutally honest when he was asked to talk about life without Brooklyn's controversial star. Nash acknowledged that not having Kyrie available continues to be a major issue for the squad:

“We came into the season, we spent almost two weeks with a different team. We lose Kyrie, now it’s a totally different situation,” Nash said, via Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “We’re just trying to build a new team and trying to work at it with this group. It’s a big hole and everyone’s got to step up a level and a notch in minutes and responsibility.”

The Nets are 6-3 this season, and while they have shown flashes of brilliance early on, they haven't exactly steamrolled through their opponents. Kyrie Irving appears to be the missing piece for the title favorites, but right now, it just doesn't sound like the unvaccinated Brooklyn star is going to take make his Nets season debut anytime soon.