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Nash needs to summon Nets' unused weapons off bench in Game 2

The Brooklyn Nets guard heavy lineups are nothing new for Steve Nash, but when it comes at the cost of letting a playoff game slip away, it raises eyebrows. LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin watched helplessly from the bench while undersized guards Patty Mills, Goran Dragic, Seth Curry and Bruce Brown were bludgeoned on the boards and manhandled by Boston's big men. Brooklyn was out rebounded 43-29 overall and 14 to 3 on the offensive glass with only Nicolas Claxton and Andre Drummond providing any presence in the paint. Not only did Nash opt for a small ball lineup, but he stuck with a switching defense putting grossly undersized defenders in compromising positions and allowing the Celtics second chance possessions. Despite these tactical flaws, the Nets could have and probably should have stolen the series opener. If Brooklyn hopes to turn the tide Wednesday in Game 2, Aldridge and Griffin will need to play a role in the defense and rebounding department. Nash has answers on his roster, but he'll need to summon them from his bench and trust his big men to make a tangible impact.

Kyrie Irving questions Elon Musk's future plans for Twitter

It's not unusual for Kyrie Irving or Elon Musk to be the focal point of the media's attention, but when both their paths cross in the public space, things reach an entirely new level. This week Musk made a $43 billion bid to buy Twitter, which raised eyebrows across the globe, including Irving's. Musk's supposed plans to privatize Twitter and put the future of the company entirely into the hands of shareholders has drawn concerns that profit, stock price and other factors will supercede freedom of speech. Big tech has been under fire for censoring and even banning certain public figures from joining the discourse on the free, public platform. Irving has been a major proponent of the free speech and advocate of social justice before and through tumultuous times amidst the pandemic. Irving is posing an interesting question regarding how a potential sale to Musk will impact any people with dissenting views, particularly those belonging to marginalized communities. Musk, a business leader and forward-thinking entrepreneur, and Irving, an otherworldly athlete and outspoken social justice advocate, bring intriguing, but contrasting world viewpoints that will hopefully create an open and healthy dialogue regarding big tech and censorship.

Nets cryptic tweet sends mixed messages about Ben Simmons' status

 Call in marketing, or call it a simple tease, but anyway you slice it, the Brooklyn Nets are not closing the door on Ben Simmons returning to action during the playoffs. The Nets tweeted out footage of Simmons shooting during practice at the HSS Training Center over the weekend. No, he's not participating in 1-on-1 or 5-on-5 drills, but the development is significant on the dawn of the playoffs.


Previously, head coach Steve Nash indicated he's not counting on Simmons returning in time for the play-in tournament, which begins next Tuesday or even the first round of the playoffs, assuming the Nets advance to that stage.

Brooklyn has been notoriously mum on the injury status of its players and only revealed within the last month that Simmons needed an epidural to calm down the herniated disc that was flaring up in his back.

It's difficult to say whether the Nets are playing cat and mouse games with the media and the rest of the NBA by tweeting out Simmons' progress, but it appears that both the player and the organization are not ruling out a potential return barring any setbacks. 


Report: NYC Mayor to lift vaccine mandate making Kyrie eligible to play at home




 New York City Mayor Eric Adams didn't show any signs publicly that he was ready to peel back the private sector vaccine mandate that prevented unvaccinated Kyrie Irving from playing at Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden.

According to Politico, Adams has reversed course and intends to lift the mandate, thereby allowing Irving and other unvaccinated professional athletes including Mets and Yankees players to play in NYC.




The reported decision comes approximately two weeks prior to the NBA playoffs starting and with optimism Irving would be eligible on a full-time basis at an all-time low in recent days.

The private sector mandate is reviewed Thursday each week and the official word is expected by tomorrow.

Brooklyn is two games back of Toronto for the seventh seed and three games back of Cleveland for sixth with ten games remaining.

The Nets have won five of the last six games and were hoping to avoid the play-in tournament and if the mandate is officially lifted, achieving the sixth seed with Irving fully in the fold is with their reach.


 

Nets wasting prime KD due to unvaxxed Kyrie, injured Simmons

 



None of us are getting any younger. The same can be said for superstar Kevin Durant who will turn 34 at the start of next season. Kyrie Irving, who is still unable to play, but can spectate at Barclays Center, is only available for road games not in Toronto or at MSG. 

Ben Simmons, who it was revealed this week has a herniated disc in his injured back, will need everything to go right in order to make a return in time for the playoffs.

Irving, 29, and Simmons, 25, are still approaching the prime of their respective careers. Durant, 33, is at the apex of his prime, arguably the league's best player and in dire need of his runningmates to be available and healthy for a championship pursuit.

While Durant signed with the club for five years, his commitment to Brooklyn is unwavering, but how long can he maintain his status as the NBA's premier player as he gets up into his mid-to-late 30's?

It's a question not enough people are asking and frankly, one Nets fans may wish to avoid addressing.

It's the 1,000 pound gorilla in the room, but any way you slice it, if the 2021-2022 campaign falls short of a title, it will be an utter disappointment and a lost season for the Nets and Durant.

Injuries have ravaged the Nets' current trio of stars and even impacted former Net James Harden throughout the regular season and last year's playoffs.

Harden's unofficial trade demand was a combination of factors including philosophical differences with Steve Nash, Irving's refusal to get vaccinated, and Durant being option 1 in the offense.

 Harden is ultimately in the place he wanted to be, Philadelphia, reunited with former GM Daryl Morey and teamed up with MVP candidate Joel Embid.

He left Durant and the Nets for greener pastures, but Brooklyn ultimately won the trade in perhaps the short term and long-term with a knockdown 3-point specialist in Seth Curry, a rebounding giant in Drummond and a budding star who became disenfranchised with his teammates and fans in Philadelphia in Simmons.

If the Nets ever put all the pieces together, the rest of the league will be put on notice, but with a part-time Irving and Simmons yet to practice, this could ultimately wind up being a lost season with prime Durant for the franchise.

Report: Ben Simmons has herniated disc in back, aims to play this season

 


Per Shams Charania in a report for The Athletic, Nets point guard Ben Simmons is nursing a herniated disc in his back that has kept him out of practice since Brooklyn acquired him in February.



Simmons received an epidural and the team is seeing how he responds to the treatment before ramping him up from individual drills then to full practice mode, and eventually game action.

Time is dwindling for the Nets to see their trio of stars take the court together, but another interesting nugget from Charania's report is that despite pubic comments by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to the contrary, internally and throughout the league, the expectation is the private sector mandate preventing Kyrie Irving from playing at Barclays Center will be peeled back in time for the playoffs.

Despite all these question marks, the Nets have the shortest odds to win the Eastern Conference at +300. The stars will literally need to align in Brooklyn and that needs to happen fast for those championship expectations to become a distinct reality.

Kyrie left fate of Nets' season up to nonsensical NYC mandate

 


Blame Eric Adams, New York City public officials or whomever you'd like for why unvaccinated Kyrie Irving can't play at Barclays Center but can attend as a fan, yet the reality is rules are rules.

No matter how nonsensical, arbitrary or not rooted in science the rules are, Irving and the Nets had to know his part-time eligibility was a likely scenario.

When Irving elected not to take an FDA approved vaccine that has flattened the COVID-19 pandemic curve significantly, he left the fate of his and the team's season up to local officials.

And, here we are, approaching the final ten games of the year with Irving's status still in limbo. The Nets even reversed course on their initial decision to preclude Irving from playing in games to start the year as a part-time player, only to allow him to return in January.

Irving had a personal choice to take the vaccine and he put his priorities ahead of the team's, the city's and the fan's. Any way you slice it, basketball is a team sport that calls for sacrifice in many regards, and while it would be acceptable if Irving had a medical it religious exemption, that is not the case.

Irving hasn't truly revealed the reason behind his unwillingness to get vaccinated except to say that he's doing it for the people who are losing their jobs for making the same choice.

Ironically, Mayor Adams fired approximately 1,400 city employees for not complying with local vaccine mandates and now everyone is clamoring to make an exception for Irving.

Is it fair to fire people living paycheck to paycheck for not getting vaccinated, while allowing Irving, a multimillionaire, generational talent to play for Brooklyn?

Absolutely not.

Irving had an opportunity to avoid this disastrous scenario, but made an unpopular choice that he and the team are now bearing consequences of.

In a pandemic that has taken the lives of millions worldwide and there's little room for pity and empathy in Irving's case.


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