Over the past season and a half, Kyrie Irving has made headlines for reasons that have nothing to do with the game.
From being a part-time player last season due to New York’s vaccination regulations to being suspended eight games for his anti-Semitic comments on social media this season, Irving has been partly responsible for the chaos that characterizes brooklyn nets Recently.
When his contract negotiations stalled last time out of season, Kevin Durant requested the transfer. A critical situation that was somewhat improved when the franchise did not find any interesting offers after accepting its player option. Then KD decided to stay in New York.
The drama didn’t stop there, as manager Steve Nash was fired seven games into the regular season and while Kyrie served his suspension. By the time Irving returned, the Nets were on the ropes and a balance 6-9as before the two stars arrived in Brooklyn in 2019.
Two months after that, no one could have predicted how quickly things would change in New York.
The new technician JacqueVaughn, he deserves a lot of credit for turning the Nets into one of the best defenses in the NBA since he took over. Durant was playing at a great level before he twisted his knee, Ben Simmons was finally getting comfortable on the court, and Nic Claxton is emerging as one of the best young interiors in the league.
But with Durant out of the lineup, it’s time to get some attention from Irving for what he’s doing on the court.
subscribe to NBA League Pass to see all games: United States | The rest of the world
How Kyrie Irving went up against Kevin Durant
Before Durant’s injury, the Nets had been doing well 18 wins in 20 matches, which caused them to grow rapidly in the Eastern Conference.
During that time, Irving was already starting to find his rhythm, but he took his game to another stratosphere since his teammate was out.
| Races | Points | assist | rebound | thefts | % success | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| During the Nets streak | 18 | 26.7 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 0.6 | 49.6% from the field and 40.1% on 3-pointers |
| Since the injury of K.D | 9 | 31.4 | 7.2 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 47.8% from the field and 41.7% on 3-pointers |
Irving recently went on a streak six games of 30 or more points; with 30, 48, 38, 30, 40 and 32 points respectively to set a new franchise record when the team needed it most.
Brooklyn is 4-6 since KD’s injury, but if not for the point guard explosion, the situation could have been much more critical.
Kyrie Irving, a machine at clutch
The seven-time All-Star has excelled in the game’s most important moments, becoming Brooklyn’s benchmark in shutouts. Irving recently scored 21 points in a win against the Knicks, extending his lead as the NBA’s leading scorer into the final round.
The Irving 361 total points and 9.5 goals per night in the final quarter is worth being the league leader. Something you do with a 50.2% from the field and 35.7% on 3-pointers. His last four quarters of 20 points are the most in the league by a wide margin and he also has 55 assists to just 32 turnovers.
“We know he’s always going to show up in the fourth quarter. It’s great.” Claxton said of his teammate.
It seems that Irving has rediscovered his joy in the game, and has become a game machine again. best moments.
Whether it’s finishing at the rim against one of the best rim guards in the league…
…or driving his defenders crazy with the direct block in front of Mikal bridges.
Irving continues to drop acts that surprise and bring fans to their feet. And there is no more positive news.
Irving’s availability has had a huge impact for the Nets, something that hasn’t been very common since he signed with them in 2019.
He has already made more appearances this season (39) than he did all of last season (29) as a part-time player. Kyrie Irving is on track to play 63 games this season, which would be one of the best marks of his career.
With Irving playing undisturbed at the highest level he’s seen in years, the Nets will finally be able to hit their ceiling once Durant returns.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
