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The Brooklyn Nets have definitely been affected by New York City's requirement of at least a dose of the vaccine for those 12-year-old or older to attend indoor events. The requirement itself has not hurt the Brooklyn Nets, but Kyrie Irving's unwillingness to receive the vaccine has definitely created issues for the team ahead of the start of the 2021-22 NBA campaign.
Irving was set to play only road games if he did not get the vaccine, as he would only be forbidden from playing at home without the vaccine. Today, the Brooklyn Nets announced that unless Irving is able to play in every game, he will be separated from the team.
Three issues the Brooklyn Nets must solve regarding Kyrie Irving's situation in the 2021-22 NBA season
Kyrie Irving has played in 74 games for the Brooklyn Nets since signing for the team in 2019. He played only 20 games in the 2019-20 NBA season before a shoulder injury hindered his campaign, while he appeared in 54 games last year while missing several outings due to personal reasons.
Now, if Kyrie Irving does not get the vaccine, he could miss the entire NBA season if he is not traded away to a city that does not require vaccination for massive events.
For the Brooklyn Nets' and GM Sean Marks' side, separating Irving from the team seems like a reasonable decision to make as the dynamic of only playing him in road games will definitely be uncomfortable for the entire team.
Looking forward, we will give you three areas the Brooklyn Nets have to solve on the basketball court without Kyrie Irving, whose basketball attributes are not part of the current issue.
Without further ado, let us take a look.
#3 Solve Kyrie Irving's connection with the organization
The Brooklyn Nets' decision on Kyrie Irving's situation for the 2021-22 NBA season is already known, and it will only change if the player ultimately gets vaccinated or if the team decides to trade him to a city without restrictions.
Irving is in his third year with the Brooklyn Nets after signing a four-year deal worth over $136 million. He has two years left on his contract and a salary of over $70 million over the two years.
Will the Brooklyn Nets allow him to remain unvaccinated and return to the team for the 2022-23 NBA season? or trade him for some value and get rid of his contract? It is definitely a situation that must be solved by the front office as it has to determine whether all the noise is worth due to Irving's basketball prowess.
#2 Focus on the positives found when Kyrie Irving was absent in the last two seasons
As mentioned before, Kyrie Irving has not been permanently available for the Brooklyn Nets in the last two seasons. Whether it was due to injuries or personal choices, Irving has appeared in 74 of the Brooklyn Nets' 144 regular-season games over the last two years.
In that span, the Brooklyn Nets have posted a 39-31 record in the regular season without the seven-time All-Star.
With similar sample sizes since the 2019-20 NBA season (70 games without Irving and 74 games with him), the Brooklyn Nets have posted a better Defensive Rating without Irving (111) than with the three-time All-NBA player (113.4).
The Brooklyn Nets are not a more talented team without Kyrie Irving on the court, but given the unfortunate situation generated before the 2021-22 NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets must start to think about the positives without him.
#1 The Brooklyn Nets backcourt needs a new starter alongside James Harden
Obviously, the Brooklyn Nets are now in a situation in which they have to replace Kyrie Irving, assuming that if the situation has already reached this level, he isn't likely to get vaccinated any time soon.
For the 2021-22 NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets are already loaded with another stacked roster to compete for the NBA championship and hopefully have health on their side during the NBA Playoffs.
Patty Mills was the big signing of the Brooklyn Nets in the 2020 NBA Free Agency, as the team spent its $5.9 million midlevel exception on the Australian, who is already an NBA champion and a great veteran presence for the Brooklyn Nets' bench.
Not only is Mills an experienced player, he is still one of the best bench players and shooters in the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets are Mills' third team in his 13-year career, and he has made 38% of his three-pointers throughout his NBA journey. Now, can he take on the starting role alongside James Harden? He could, but that probably will debilitate the bench a bit and it also doesn't seem to be coach Steve Nash's plan.
In the NBA preseason, Bruce Brown has usually been James Harden's partner as he was in the 2021 NBA Playoffs when Kyrie Irving was injured.
Mills has started just three games over the last three NBA regular seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. Obviously, the best plan for the Brooklyn Nets' backcourt without Kyrie Irving would be to insert Brown with Harden and leave Patty Mills leading the charge off the bench.
Everything could also change if the front office is willing to trade Kyrie Irving and receive value from another team and possibly a guard who is ready to start.
