Until this point in the 2021-22 NBA season, everything seems to be going as per plan for the Brooklyn Nets. They have a great roster and the players on it have performed at an elite level. As a result, the Nets have the best record in the Eastern Conference and sit at the top of the conference.
What’s worrying for opposing teams is the fact that their third superstar apart from Kevin Durant and James Harden, Kyrie Irving, is yet to play even a single game this season. At the beginning of the season, when the league decided it was mandatory for players to follow the rules about getting vaccinated in the city they are playing, Irving became a black sheep.
He didn’t want to get vaccinated, which resulted in him being sidelined indefinitely. Well, now the franchise has decided that the former NBA champion can play for them, but only in road games. Different people reacted to this decision in different ways.
Shaquille O’Neal was furious at the Nets for allowing Irving to return as a part-time player. On the other hand, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins seems pretty happy upon hearing that Kyrie will be allowed to play basketball once again. In an episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” Perkins said:
“Yes! Yes!! I’d rather a part-time Kyrie than no-time Kyrie. And here’s why. Let me tell you. For the simple fact that you need a Kyrie Irving when you go on the road in the playoffs… When I look at the Kyrie Irving situation, I know it’s like, ‘Oh, it can mess up the chemistry.’ Well, I would rather them start to develop it right now and get some type of flow so their guys can get adjusted to Kyrie being only part-time. And look Kyrie is a special type of talent and like I said before, you can’t replace that. So when you are on the road, you need a guy that can go out there and take the load off Kevin Durant and James Harden.”
.@KendrickPerkins thinks the Nets are making the right move bringing Kyrie back.
“I’d rather a part-time Kyrie than a no-time Kyrie! … You need a Kyrie Irving when you go on the road in the playoffs.” pic.twitter.com/TH6jcuihyR
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 29, 2021
There is no doubt that Irving is a great player and throughout his career, he has proved it. Come playoff time, he has the ability to take over a game and help his team register a win.
Although the Nets already have KD and Harden, who can do that, it cannot hurt to have another superstar player ready, albeit for road games. If the Nets can make this work, it will without a doubt increase their chances of winning the NBA Championship.
