It’s been a little over a year since the Brooklyn Nets traded for James Harden, but the Big Three haven’t gotten a lot of playing time together. Kyrie Irving played his first game of the season earlier this month but is limited by his part-time role.
However, fans can’t look forward to watching the trio on the court together, at least for the next 4-6 weeks.
Kevin Durant sprained his MCL on Saturday against New Orleans, and although the team hasn’t provided an exact timetable for his return, an expert believes that Durant could be sidelined for at least a month.
That isn’t the news that the Nets were hoping for, especially given how the Big Three dominated the Bulls last week in Chicago.
Brooklyn has a ton of potential, but because of injuries and other setbacks, the team has yet to fully reach it.
Kyrie Irving on the Big 3 not being able to play many games together:
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) January 17, 2022
"Our time is coming. It's coming. It may not be now but I definitely feel like some of these things that happen are for a reason and it's for a bigger purpose. We'll see what happens." pic.twitter.com/X41SyutuZh
With Kevin Durant out, the Brooklyn Nets can’t rely on Kyrie Irving full-time.
The Nets will play 10 of their next 13 games on the road, which would’ve been an opportune time for the Big Three to increase their minutes alongside each other.
On the topic of Durant’s injury, Irving said:
"“It was a big hit. You feel it energetically, the presence in the locker room,” Kyrie Irving said. “Everyone is going to feel it, but for me personally, it’s like we just got back into the swing of things and here we are again.”"
With KD out, Brooklyn will at least get to have Irving on the court for away games, but that’s it.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that there was “real optimism within the organization” that Irving would become a full-time participant this year. That’d be the best-case scenario for the Nets, especially given the fact that the team plays far better on the road than they do at home.
Following Monday’s loss to Cleveland, Irving was asked by ESPN’s Nick Friedell and New York Post’s Brian Lewis about his vaccination status, and if KD’s injury had persuaded Irving to get vaccinated.
One thing is very clear after listening to Kyrie speak postgame today: There is nothing that is going to make him change his mind regarding the vaccine. He’s made up his mind — he’s not going to take it.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) January 17, 2022
That’s not a promising answer.
It makes sense, though. Irving maintained his end of the holdout and it was Sean Marks and Brooklyn that rescinded the statement that was made on Oct. 12. The point guard went from not being allowed to be a part-time participant, to embodying a part-time role two months later.
And regardless of what’s been said about Irving potentially receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, he made it clear that he isn’t going to change his mind.
Now, it’ll be up to Harden to lead the Nets at Barclays Center. That is until Durant returns.
If the Nets truly believed that they’d be able to sway Irving’s mind about the vaccine, they were wrong. There might’ve been a small amount of hope lingering around the organization, but that hope was crushed with the point guard’s response on Monday.
In the meantime, Brooklyn will have to turn to Harden, who has been struggling on the offensive end but has played better with Irving back on the court.
How will the Nets fare without Durant, especially in games played at home?
Kyrie Irving takes shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo for ankle injury in playoffs
Following Monday's loss, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving was asked to recap the past year, and his answer included a shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo.