"Kyrie Irving makes them my favorites to win the East" - Jalen Rose believes the Brooklyn Nets will emerge from the Eastern Conference after the point guard's return

Kyrie Irving is finally back after previously being told that he would not play for the Brooklyn Nets this season unless he received the COVID-19 vaccine or the New York rules changed. This has sparked heated debates around the NBA media, and Jalen Rose, a former NBA player turned ESPN analyst, is now picking the Brooklyn Nets to win the Eastern Conference after the guard's return.

On the ESPN NBA Countdown show on Christmas Day, Jalen Rose was asked if it the Nets can still make it work if Irving is only available only for road games. His response was:

“It is definitely going to work. Stephen A. said why. They are already the number one seed without Kyrie Irving participating. Now you get Kyrie Irving back, and that takes pressure off KD, who is already playing at an MVP level, and it can ignite James Harden… Kyrie Irving does now make them my favorites to win the east if he’s in uniform.”

Irving won't be available to play home games in Brooklyn for the Nets but will be available for just about every road game that isn’t against the Knicks, Raptors, and Warriors, who play in an area with COVID-19 vaccine mandates. A big reason why the Nets are allowing Irving to rejoin the team is because they have suffered a COVID-19 outbreak. The situation is ironic and took a predictable turn when Irving immediately went into health and safety protocols right after being activated.

However, one of the biggest reasons for Irving's return is that despite the Nets being in first place in the Eastern Conference, it has not been pretty. The team has struggled to show up in big fixtures and has relied too heavily on Kevin Durant to win every game. James Harden has not been playing like himself so far this season. Both Harden and Durant have combined for 73.2 minutes per game.

The Nets were heavy favorites when the season started, and when Irving was out, that didn’t change much because of Durant’s play. With Irving back, the Nets will keep winning a championship as the ultimate goal.

What will Kyrie Irving’s role be on the Brooklyn Nets?

Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving going up for a layup

This is almost like a mid-season trade with Kyrie Irving coming back. The good news is that he will be able to practice with the team at home, so he will be there at every session the team has. This will allow Irving to get up to game speed, despite not being able to play at home.

When the Nets big three are all healthy at the same time, it might be the best offensive three in NBA history. They are all elite shot creators for themselves or others and can get baskets from anywhere on the court. The Brooklyn Nets are Eastern Conference front runners, and it makes sense why Rose would back them.

The one thing that could get in the team's way could be the overall weird situation that is going on with Irving. The point guard's unwillingness to receive the shot could become an issue within the Nets locker room despite players publicly saying they have no problem with his decision.

It might also be hard for the team to get in a rhythm, going back and forth between game plans with or without Irving. Even further down the line, in the playoffs when the Nets have home-court advantage, is that really an advantage? To get even crazier, what if the Nets face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals? Kyrie Irving could never see the floor.

Kyrie Irving will be back with the Brooklyn Nets, and he will be playing every road game he can. However, with the question of whether he will play this season being answered, it opens up a whole other world of questions for the Nets. Still, with Irving, the Nets are undeniably one of the best teams in the league and could sit atop the Eastern Conference when it is all said and done.