“Maybe I'm just naive, but that is just how I feel” - Kevin Durant believes Kyrie Irving will feature for the Brooklyn Nets this season

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is hopeful that teammate Kyrie Irving will feature in home games for the franchise this season. Durant recently spoke to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk and said:

"I'm envisioning Kyrie being a part of our team. Maybe I'm just naïve, but that is just how I feel. But I think everybody here has that confidence in themselves, in our group, that if we keep building, we can do something special."

Kyrie Irving's vaccination status is still unclear, and the Brooklyn Nets organization is unsure whether the talented point guard will take a COVID-19 shot in the upcoming weeks. New York City's mandate makes it compulsory for everyone to get the vaccine, and if Irving chooses to ignore it, he will not be allowed to feature in the Nets' home games.

Irving's comments indicate he doesn't feel comfortable taking the jab, which could prompt the Brooklyn Nets to take drastic action in the coming days. A potential trade has also been suggested, while some pundits believe that Kevin Durant's influence could lead to Irving eventually choosing to get vaccinated.

The Brooklyn Nets will still be a formidable force even in Kyrie Irving's absence

Kyrie Irving looks on during a Brooklyn Nets NBA preseason game

Even if Kyrie Irving ends up missing home games for the Brooklyn Nets, they will still be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference and the entire NBA. Irving is their starting shooting guard, but the presence of James Harden and Kevin Durant means the Brooklyn Nets will possess two of the league's top five players in their starting lineup, a luxury probably no other team in the NBA has.

In Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets have the best player in the world at the moment. Durant was voted the standout talent in a recent poll conducted by NBA GMs, and also took the No.1 spot on various lists that were rolled out by sports publications.

Durant is a multi-time scoring champion and a two-time NBA championship winner and is also the recipient of two Finals MVP awards and a league MVP trophy. He was on the verge of leading the Brooklyn Nets to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance before the Milwaukee Bucks snatched an OT win against them in a pivotal ECSF Game 7.

James Harden is another superstar amongst the Brooklyn Nets' ranks, and the tandem certainly possesses the ability to help the franchise land their first Larry O'Brien trophy.

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