3 reasons why the NBA needs Kyrie Irving back

Kyrie Irving has not played a minute this season, and despite the Brooklyn Nets' 22-9 record atop the Eastern Conference, he is the missing link who could potentially catapault the Nets to the franchise's first NBA championship.

Fans have been waiting to see James Harden, Kevin Durant and Irving play together for a consistent period of time.

The biggest NBA three, as they gel, will give fans a show by bombarding teams with salvos of exquisite artistry. Kyrie Irving is the most fluid of the three with all of his dribble drives and dagger 3-pointers where he is contested to the utmost.

Those who have an interest in the NBA – whether they agree with Kyrie's stance regarding COVID-19 vaccination or not – surely miss the plays he makes, the scoring in waves, the dramatic finishes, the Kyrie just being Kyrie.

Here are three reasons the NBA needs all of that from Irving.

Kyrie Irving

When the announcement was made that Kyrie would be coming back, the Brooklyn Nets had 27 road games left. However, because of vaccine mandates, Irving can't play at home or at the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors or Golden State Warriors.

NBA fans thought Irving would most first return on Christmas Day in a nationally televised game against LeBron James and the Anthony Davis-less LA Lakers. That didn't happen as Irving was in health and safety protocols. So, fans will have to wait a little longer for Irving (and Kevin Durant) to be cleared to see how the Nets look at full strength – in road games, at least.

Irving has stood fast on his belief to not be vaccinated. And because the Nets are shorthanded like everyone else, his return puts the Nets at a distinct advantage even with a short bench.

The Brooklyn Nets

So many expectations exist with the Nets. When Harden, Durant and Irving formed, fans were excited by the thought of three potential Hall of Famers linking up in their prime to run over the NBA. That hasn't transpired yet, but the fact Brooklyn is leading the Eastern Conference is scary for the rest of the NBA.

On Christmas, Harden was the only member of the trio to be showcased, and he did that with a a triple-double of 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Was this a measure of having the floor to himself or more about the possibilities that exist with the talented three?

I would say the latter.

No. 3: Talent

In the NBA, and as free agency prohibits teams from playing together for an extended period of time, talent is the equalizer. In an interview with Scoop Jackson for Sportskeeda, the ESPN journalist said that Irving would be the first player, after Kevin Garnett, he would take of all the players who ever played the sport.

Think about the most talented point guards in the NBA: Steph Curry, Dame Lillard, Chris Paul, Ja Morant, Russell Westbrook and Luka Doncic (LaMelo Ball has next). What do any of them do that Irving can't when asked to do so?

What can he do better than most? He makes big shots, is an excellent passer and floor leader, defends just enough and has a handle that will be seen as the best in NBA history.

He is an MVP candidate every year. It's all about how his peers see him, how the media covers him and how the fans speak about Irving that may one day have him awarded as such.

But Irving is so transcendent of the NBA, that winning the MVP – or not – won't define or need to be a part of his legacy. Irving is a player who just shows up to ball and surprises everyone with his ability, because those who know him off the floor understand he is deeper than just the game itself, and that's OK.

No. 2: Professionalism

Though Irving played only 10 games at Duke, it was evident he would be considered the top pick in the NBA draft because of how his talent affects every game he's involved in.

The 74 games he's played for the Brooklyn Nets have shown that when on the floor, the team is sturdy enough to win every affair. Naysayers will say Irving just isn't on the floor enough, that there is always some sort of drama with Kyrie. And while a tinge of selfishness exists in that thought, those naysayers aren't exactly wrong.

The reward in Irving playing is that all will be forgotten if Brooklyn is the last team standing after the June confetti rain. And while his talent is elite, the process of him scoring is as unique as anyone ever touching a basketball.

That's what fans miss. They miss the quality of play when Irving is on the floor, and the dramatic, charismatic flair he exhibits in his professionalism. The intensity of the game is heightened, and the opposition simply wants to counteract Irving by getting more buckets of their own.

The incentive becomes different, the respect becomes a muse and the will to win strikes harder. If a defense does not find a way to contain Irving, he is as professional a scorer as either of his more documented teammates, and that makes the game better to watch and easier to absorb.

No. 1: Because he puts seats in the seats

Ask fans in a poll of who they would most pay to watch, and Kyrie Irving will be high, if not highest, on the list. The unconventional way he performs, combined with the enigmatic ways of drawing fans to his personality through his talent, sets him apart.

When covering Kyrie Irving, reporters understand his answers will not resemble the reactions of his peers when asked similar questions, and that piques intrigue in Kyrie Irving.

Kyrie Irving will have games in which Durant and Harden will not be the primary defensive focus for the opposition, and that would transpire whether former Nets Julius Erving or anyone else is on the floor historically.

Kyrie Irving has the ability to make any player disappear when he is in his bag. How many players can that be said about? How many players in the NBA challenge how we analyze and observe the sport itself and its history?

Plug Kyrie Irving into any NBA era, and there's nothing he's doing now that he wouldn't be doing then. He would be fearless in driving to the cup in past eras when point guards were physically prohibited from entering the lane. His range would be just as prominent. And even with the lack of zone play, he would be able to weaken defenses with his dribble drives and kickouts.

What sports really needs in a balanced sense are personalities that extend off the floor. Athletes aren't robots just showing up to play for fans. They have their own lives, issues, goals, dreams and perceived failures.

The great thing about Kyrie Irving is that he will not simply be rememered for the tremendous handle in a God Shammgod sense (that isn't a diss). He will also be remembered for sticking his neck out and standing on his life view, and the strength by which he has stood by his philosophy. Whether fans agree or disagree is insignificant.

What is significant is Kyrie Irving's time in the NBA and how he fills our love for the game with the excitement of his flair, the instincts that are faster than the league and the clutch daggers that are yet to come.

Welcome home, Kyrie Irving. Welcome back.