After an abysmal start to the season, the Brooklyn Nets may be finally turning a corner this season. At 5-7 on the season, the Nets have moved up to 10th in the conference despite all the chaos that has endured behind the scenes.
But with Kyrie Irving set to return soon, how can the Nets implement his game to maximize the play of the team? While some believe it’s good enough to plug and go, former NBA swingman Eddie Johnson says the Nets may be better off trying something else entirely…
“With Brooklyn playing well, maybe that helps Kyrie when he gets back. He doesn’t need to score 30 a game. What about facilitating for these other guys? Why don’t you turn into a mini Scottie Pippen in a sense? Go ahead and get your 24, but don’t try to get 30 every night. Don’t take 21 shots. He’s very efficient. Kyrie takes very good shots when he’s in his game. What about just taking 17 shots? What about just doing that and then guess what? Getting 10 assists. So now you’re getting Joe Harris about 2 or 3 threes and Seth Curry 2 or 3 threes. All of a sudden now you’re playing better and you’re winning.”
"Don't try to get 30 every night"@Jumpshot8 gives some sound advice for Kyrie Irving when he returns to Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/HbI5IkRyFc
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) November 11, 2022
As one of the best scorers on the planet, it makes sense why the Nets would want Kyrie to score, but maybe he should take on more of a facilitator role to help the supporting cast (guys like Joe Harris and Nic Claxton) get some open looks. Maybe he should be more of a support player (like Pippen) than a leading scorer.
But before any adjustments can be made, Irving has to mend his relationship with the front office and his teammates.
Kyrie Irving’s Path To Return Involves Multi-Step Process
While Irving has technically served his five-game suspension, he won’t be back on the Nets until he fulfills their demands. And after a meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver this week, Irving seems to be making ground on that front. Although there are reports that he still has to mend some relationships within the franchise.
“I am told the meeting between Adam Silver and Kyrie Irving lasted for about an hour and it was described to me as an understanding and productive meeting between the two gentlemen,” said Shams Charania. “We saw Adam Silver come out with a statement last week where he felt like Kyrie Irving’s tweet was reckless and that he wanted to sit down and talk. For them to finally get some face time and try to move forward from here, this does pave the way for Kyrie Irving and his team, the Brooklyn Nets to figure out a potential path forward. We talked about the 6 things that the Nets have laid out for Kyrie Irving to accomplish before a return to the court… I think there is a bunch to sort through. With Kyrie Irving and the Nets, there are relationships that need to be sorted out between Kyrie and the management as far as the ownership but also the locker room. He’s been away from the team for about a week now and that is a big amount of time he’s been gone. He’s under contract for the rest of the year and they know they need him if they want to accomplish anything in the Eastern Conference.”
At this point, it’s anyone’s guess what the Nets will look like when Kyrie is allowed to come back. He could completely disrupt their rhythm, or he could only add more fuel to their flaming hot stretch.
Either way, Irving will be key to the Nets’ season, and how they utilize his game this season will be especially important in their success over the next few weeks and months.
