Kyrie Irving is getting closer and closer to making his return to the court. With him only being able to participate in road games, there’s been much talk about how his return can disrupt their continuity.
However, coach Steve Nash doesn’t see how his return will have a negative impact on the team.
“I may be a little naive but I think I just keep it really simple,” Nash said. “Kyrie plays on the road and we figure out how he rejoins the group, finds his rhythm, and his place in the team and when we come home we’re back to normal, the way we’ve been all year. So I’m just trying to keep it really simple.”
Kevin Durant also doesn’t seem to be too worried about integrating him back into the mix, complimenting Irving’s ability to adapt.
“He’s a high IQ player,” Durant said. “It’s just a matter of him getting his legs up under him and his wind up under him. And then for us we’re going to run plays for him, we’ll try to look for him. We play team basketball — but he can adapt and do anything out there so we’re not worried about him.”
More Nets Notes
- Irving is currently undergoing a ramp-up period before returning to the floor, with Nash saying he’s “getting closer.” “He was in isolation for however many days, 10-plus days, I think. For him to come out of that and look as good as he has playing with the stay-ready group and getting his rhythm back has been exciting,” Nash said. “We have to give him time to really get his feet under him, but as far as how he looks, he looks very gifted.”
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Irving said he “knew the consequences” of remaining unvaccinated, but “wasn’t prepared for them.” However, Irving understands why the Nets had to keep him away from the team for the first couple of months of the season. “I understood their decision and respected it,” Irving said. “I really had to sit back and think and try not to become too emotionally attached to what they were deciding to do. I had to really evaluate things and see it from their perspective, meaning the organization, my teammates. I really empathized and I understood their choice to say, ‘If you are not going to be fully vaccinated, then you can’t be a full [participant].’”
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Although it’s a dying trend in the modern NBA, the Nets elected to start two 7-footers in the same starting lineup on Thursday with LaMarcus Aldridge and Nic Claxton manning the center and power forward positions, respectively. “That was really my first time being out there with LA. We’ll definitely adjust to it once we get more reps in. Hopefully, we go to it a lot in the near future,” Claxton said. “The biggest adjustment is just having another big on the court.” (h/t Peter Botte of the New York Post)
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The Nets gave up a double-digit lead to an undermanned Clippers team on Saturday night, which didn’t sit well with their MVP candidate. “We just relaxed too much,” Durant said. “We get up 10, miss a layup or turn the ball over, and they get a fast break, give up a 3, straight-line drive. Like coach said, we didn’t deserve to win this game. We came in here with a f—ed-up attitude. Thinking we were just going to walk into a W.”
