Right when superstar James Harden joins the Brooklyn Nets to help the franchise win a championship, point guard Kyrie Irving's status is uncertain. There have been talks about Irving sitting out for the rest of the season, but ESPN's Malika Andrews reported that Irving had different plans:
Sean Marks said that signing James Harden wasn't directly related to Kyrie Irving's absence.
Marks said that he has spoken to Irving and the guard is "excited" to get back on the court, but Marks reiterates the timeline will be impacted by the NBA's investigation.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) January 14, 2021
Irving, who was seen at a party without a mask, potentially broke COVID-19 protocol, leading to an NBA investigation. How long the guard will be out will be determined on what the NBA deems is necessary for regards to if Irving has to self-isolate. His non-injury-related absences from the teams have led many to question why he is not on the court with Kevin Durant and his teammates. Time will tell as to what Irving hoped to accomplish with his time away from the team, but it does put head coach Steve Nash in a tough spot.
Nash will have to juggle the responsibility of maximizing the talents of the Big 3 in Brooklyn with the addition of Harden. These three superstars talked about potentially playing on the same team together in the past, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
On @Stadium: The Nets and 76ers competing over last 24 hours for James Harden; Philadelphia and Houston discussions around Ben Simmons/Matisse Thybulle; and expectation on the return of Kyrie Irving. pic.twitter.com/o3sk9UCokS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 14, 2021
There is no question that these superstars have chemistry and the potential to tear up the Eastern Conference. It is just a matter of how Nash will deal with Irving's absence and reintegrate him into an offense already led by Harden and Durant.
The plan as of right now is for Irving to rejoin the team at some point in the season, but the last thing the Nets want is for the playing styles of these three individuals to clash.
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