The Brooklyn Nets have plenty of reasons to be concerned about Kyrie Irving moving forward.
The Brooklyn Nets were the talk of NBA free agency last summer when they pulled off the signings of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving within a span of a few hours. With the former recovering from a ruptured Achilles suffered in the Finals, the Nets were never expected to accomplish much of anything in the 2019-20 season.
If nothing else, it was meant to serve as a tryout to see how the younger players meshed with Irving.
Unfortunately for Brooklyn, the test run was a genuine disaster, which prompted fans to begin expressing their concerns with Irving. Not only did the Nets post a better record with Irving out of the lineup, but he didn’t hesitate to roast his teammates — and the roster as a whole — when the team was in a funk.
With all of this in mind, let’s highlight a few reasons why fans in Brooklyn are wholly justified in being worried about Kyrie moving forward.
3. Unpredictable Personality/Lack of Leadership
Kyrie Irving’s track record with leadership isn’t the greatest.
The reason Irving is so polarizing in NBA circles is because you never know which form of him you’re going to get on a nightly basis. One night, he could be the guy who showers his teammates with love and adoration. Less than 48 hours later, however, he could take to the microphone and absolutely rip them apart in front of the media.
We’ll never forget what Irving told reporters following a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in January.
“I mean, it’s transparent. It’s out there,” he said. “It’s glaring, in terms of the pieces that we need in order to be at that next level. We’ll worry about all the other stuff, in terms of moving pieces and everything else, as an organization down the line in the summer. It’s just something that we signed up for.”
If you think that’s bad, a report surfaced back in October which claimed that the Nets were growing increasingly concerned with Irving’s “mood swings.” That’s something a franchise just shouldn’t have to worry about with a superstar.
As far as leadership is concerned, we all know that Irving isn’t an alpha, and that is absolutely a reason Brooklyn should be walking on eggshells.
2. Commitment Issues
Irving’s never really been satisfied anywhere he’s been.
Remember during Irving’s introduction ceremony with the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden when he declared how much he would love to sign an extension with the franchise? That seems like ages ago.
Despite the fact that he was winning in Boston, the six-time All-Star was never happy with the Celtics, and he was largely viewed among NBA reporters as a cancer in the locker room. Truth be told, general manager Danny Ainge probably couldn’t wait to get rid of him, especially since his style of play hindered the team’s young stars from developing.
If Brooklyn doesn’t advance to the Finals next season with Durant fully healthy, his commitment to putting the Nets back on the basketball map could waver. Rumor has it that Irving played a role in the Nets’ shocking decision to fire head coach Kenny Atkinson.
The Duke product’s love for the city of Boston faded almost as quick as it materialized, and the same could happen in Brooklyn if things don’t go as planned in 2020-21.
1. Health
Kyrie Irving has had injury troubles since his college days.
Does anybody realize that Kyrie has played a full NBA season just ONCE in his nine-year career? That came in 2014-2015, and even then he only played 75 contests. On five separate occasions, the former No. 1 overall pick appeared in 60 games or fewer. That’s not great, and you have to think that it will only get worse as the 28-year-old continues to age.
A lingering shoulder injury limited Irving to just 20 games this year, and Nets fans had better cross their fingers that his surgery put the issue in the rearview. Even still, that doesn’t mean the former Rookie of the Year won’t suffer another injury.
We all know that the best ability is availability, and Irving has proved that he can’t be relied upon in that department. That’s why his health is the most glaring cause for concern moving forward. As great as Durant is, Brooklyn has no shot at competing for a championship if Kyrie isn’t sharing the floor with the 10-time All-Star.