Brooklyn nets see the danger with Kyrie Irving

The Brooklyn Nets took a risk when they signed Kyrie Irving to a top deal in 2019. The six-time All-Star quarreled with younger teammates on his way out of Boston and was to blame for torpedoing his season. Irving is one of the most talented players in the NBA, but his mercurial attitude makes it hard to be trusted.

But like most teams in the league, the Nets focused on the talent. They signed Irving to a four-year, $ 144 million contract. Less than half way through, they are already seeing what could go wrong. Irving’s antics threaten to shatter Brooklyn’s rival desires.

Irving lost his fourth game just Tuesday after being absent last week for personal reasons. He is not expected to return this week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN and Malika Andrews.

When asked on Tuesday if he plans to play Irving again this season, Nets head coach Steve Nash offered one word: “Yes. ”

The NBA looking into Irving’s actions after a online video appeared off attending an indoor birthday party for his sister without a mask. Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks arsa the team is aware of the pictures.

On Tuesday, just minutes before the Nets fell off in their game against Denver Nuggets, Irving was seen on Zoom call for Manhattan District Solicitor Tahanie Aboushi’s advanced candidate.

While the state of Irving ‘s absence is unknown – Nash has not announced a timetable for his return – he was not the first mercurial star to be caught leading the Covid – 19 guidelines. -this season. Last month, James Harden was spotted at a large indoor birthday party and Las Vegas nightclub, each time without a mask. On Tuesday, Harden took his trading bids to the next level, saying the Rockets are “not good enough.”

He has three years and $ 133 million with player choice left on his contract.

While Harden and Irving’s situations are different, they both put their teams in precarious situations. Brooklyn invested in Irving, and is still at the beginning of his contract. The Nets were expected to build a competitive streak around Irving and Kevin Durant, who are back this season after missing last year with a broken Achilles tendon.

After a promising start, the Nets have fallen back to .500, and Irving ‘s place hangs over the team. A surrogate told my SportsMoney colleague Mike Mazzeo that the show was “one of the weirdest” he’s ever seen.

There are two different themes to play here. Although Irving has not made public comments since his absence, one of his former coaches said he is “deeply sorry” about the events that unfolded at the Capitol last week. That would make it one of many. In a June survey, the CDC found that 40.9% of respondents reported experiencing at least one serious behavioral or mental health condition since the onset of the pandemic. Many of us are struggling with our mental health right now. There is nothing wrong with taking time off to get better.

But that’s no excuse for Irving to party without mascara – if the videos are right. The NBA season is about to go on due to a lot of Covid-19 outbursts. Attending an indoor birthday bash is a prime example of inconsistency.

He also doesn’t apologize for his apparent lack of communication. The Nets invested $ 144 million in Irving. They deserve to know the status of their superstar point guard.

Irving suddenly wanted a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers, leaving LeBron James in his last season there. He then went back on his promise not to re-sign with the Celtics, and continued to play poorly in the playoffs. Irving fired just 30% off the field in the last four games in Boston against the Milwaukee Bucks in the semifinals of the 2019 Eastern Conference.

When he signed for the Nets, Irving admitted that he had “failed” his teammates in Boston. But the pattern seems to be happening again in Brooklyn. It’s a reminder to NBA teams of the value of looking beyond their talent.