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Nets need to prepare like Kyrie Irving won't be with team this season



Kyrie Irving's vaccination status has been the focus on fans and media, but the Brooklyn Nets can't let this situation distract the team.

It's easier said than done as now Irving has left his teammates to answer questions for him as to when and if he may rejoin the team on a full-time basis.

Irving is no stranger to disappearing as he took a personal leave of absence, that was not excused by the team last season and has shown no signs he'll comply with local regulations in New York requiring anyone entering a public venue to prove they're vaccinated.

At the end of the day, it's Irving's decision to make, but the Nets have championship aspirations. Whether it's with him or without him, Brooklyn has unfinished business and getting caught up in the hoopla surrounding Irving is going to detract from the terrific roster Sean Marks has assembled and the likely prospect the Nets will be the title favorites.

As other cities impose similar regulations to New York City and Canada issuing strict orders for unvaccinated players from out of town, Irving may pay a steep price and will miss significant time if he continues down this course.

NBA GM's vote this team as most likely to win NBA Finals

 



The Brooklyn Nets are the odds on favorites to win the 2022 NBA Finals, according to a recent survey of the league's general managers.

It shouldn't come as an overall shock with the overwhelming amount of talent showcased on Brooklyn's roster.



Kyrie Irving's availability and the team staying healthy appear to be the two major concerns heading into the season.

Littered with veteran talent from top to bottom,  the Nets earned the respect of front office executives and they'll soon have an opportunity to prove they're worthy of this distinction.


Kyrie Irving's vaccine status will become more clear on Tuesday

 


The Brooklyn Nets completed their training camp trip to San Diego and will return to Brooklyn for practice on Tuesday. If Kyrie Irving is among the participants, which at this point appears unlikely, Nets fans would get the answer they were hoping for that the team's point guard indeed complies with local vaccine requirements in New York. 

The more likely scenario is that Irving will not participate with the rest of his teammates for the opening of home practices on Tuesday at HSS Center in Brooklyn. 

A recent ESPN report suggested that nearly 95 percent of all NBA players are vaccinated, but the outliers in big names Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins and Irving are still not part of that group. 

Brooklyn is two weeks away from opening night in Milwaukee, for which Irving would be eligible to play, but with limited practice time with his new teammates outside of Kevin Durant and James Harden. 

The Nets  quest for a title starts with the team that ousted them out of the playoffs last season as the Bucks will receive their championship rings on NBA's Opening Night, October 19th. 

Irving's vaccine status and lack of contract extensions for both him and Harden remain the talking point of the national media.  Instead, the main focus and storylines should center on the team trying to reach its a first NBA Finals in 19 years and capturing the franchise's first ever Larry O'Brien Trophy. 

Kyrie Irving will officially pay a hefty price for missing games in his local market




Kyrie Irving is backed into a corner. The presumably unvaccinated guard will not just be precluded from playing in all regular season home games missed, which would amount to all 41, including two games played at Madison Square Garden, but he would forgo his game check entirely.

Irving is due $33.3 million this year and would relinquish part of that for refusing to comply with New York City mandates and the newly imposed NBA penalty that will dock players pay.

The NBA is playing hardball with regards to vaccine requirements and while the NBAPA has rebuffed the idea of a vaccine mandate, this course of action by the league is forcing its players' hands.

Irving hasn't ruled out the idea of joining his teammates for activities in Brooklyn at some point, but the latest step by the NBA has drawn a line in the sand.

Things will get very interesting from here on out, because we'll see if Irving stays steadfast in his anti-vaccine beliefs or whether the hefty price he'll have to pay will be enough to convince him to comply with local vaccine mandates in New York.

David Letterman's humorous exchange with KD served alternative purpose for Nets




 The Brooklyn Nets are a shrewd organization from top to bottom. So, when former late host made an appearance at Nets' Media Day with a noteworthy humorous exchange with Kevin Durant, his presence was as much a public relations stunt as it was anything.

While Kyrie Irving's vaccination status was a major talking point among fans and pundits, having Letterman pose as a reporter and eat into time dedicated to Durant's presser helped take some of the heat off the Nets' star left to answer for his absent teammates.



With the media somewhat disarmed by Letterman's dry humor, that video went viral and served as a distraction to the difficult reality that Irving appears willing to miss home games and practices in light of New York City's vaccine mandate.

You have to give a tip of the cap to Nets' PR because on a day that was nothing short of a disappointment for many Brooklyn fans, SportsCenter and many digital platforms featured the light hearted moment to create a positive story around the team.

It's the oldest public relations trick in the book, create a misdirection and inviting a celebrity to media day accomplished exactly that. Letterman was one of the stars of the show, but didn't entirely overshadow Irving's frustration situation. At least it provided cheerful moments for what will be a complicated conundrum for the team to navigate.

Kyrie Irving doesn't want to be a 'distraction' to Nets, but that's exactly what he is

 



Kyrie Irving made an appearance at Nets' Media Day, but it was via Zoom and not in person since he still remains unvaccinated.

Brooklyn's floor general insisted that he wanted to make things a private matter, and asked the media and fans to respect his privacy.

Irving declined to comment on his vaccination status or availability for home games and practices in Brooklyn this upcoming season.



The Nets' point guard indicated that he didn't want to serve as a distraction to the team, but the fact that his vaccination status has been the main storyline of the day and not the team chasing a title is evidence enough that it is indeed a distraction.

Reading between the lines, it's clear that Irving is still unvaccinated, but he's also the vice president of the NBA's Player Association with significant klout and influence over matters related to the league.

The NBAPA has declined a proposed league mandate on vaccines while New York City and San Francisco vaccine mandates supersede anything the league has in place.

From the sound of it, it appears Irving is willing to sit out home games and remain unvaccinated, but he's clearly fighting behind the scenes to revise eligibility for unvaccinated players.

Even NBA commissioner Adam Silver can't influence lawmakers in both cities to reverse course or amend the mandate, so it appears both sides are dug in and at this point Irving's availability will be a major distraction throughout the season, at least until a resolution is put in place.

Member of Nets' Big Three gives verbal commitment to stay in Brooklyn long-term




 Sean Marks has had conversations with James Harden and Kyrie Irving about inking long-term extensions to remain in Brooklyn, and the former appears committed to bringing a title to the organization and willing to commit long-term.

Harden's comments put Nets' fans minds at ease regarding his future with the club, and while a long-term extension has yet to be officially reached, the team's top playmakers don't appear to be going anywhere else anytime soon.

Harden dubbed the Nets' big three as "Scary hours" last season and with a fortified bench stockpiled with grizzled veterans, he's now updated that label to, "Scarier Hours."

The cliffhanger for the organization is the free agent statuses of Irving and Harden, so it's fresh on Nets'fans minds.

Irving's availability for home games and practices in Brooklyn is a major storyline as New York City's vaccine requirements preclude him from participating in events at Barclays Center and HSS Training Center.

On a day where Irving's resistance to the vaccine remains a hot button issue, Harden's verbal commitment creates positive vibes around Nets Media Day.



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