Same as he ever was, Kyrie Irving. Big talent, bigger headache. Months after detonating the Nets’ chances of success last season by refusing to take the New York-mandated COVID-19 vaccine—a decision that limited Irving to 29 games and was reportedly among the reasons James Harden asked to be traded—Irving is at it again, a week before the trade deadline, demanding to be shipped out of town.
Yeesh.
It was all going so well, wasn’t it? Sure, the Nets have stumbled since Kevin Durant’s injury last month, and Wednesday’s 43-point loss in Boston was a debacle. But Brooklyn was 12–1 in December. It was 18–2 in the 20 games before Durant went out. It had climbed the standings. It was making the Celtics sweat. Nic Claxton has emerged as an elite defender. Yuta Watanabe has become a dependable three-point shooter. Royce O’Neale has been a reliable wing. With Durant set to return around the All-Star break, the Nets had a chance to make a run.
