Nets coach Steve Nash said Kyrie Irving “looks great, considering” and is “getting close” to making his season debut, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. Irving, who can only play in road games because he hasn’t complied with New York City’s vaccination requirement, could return Wednesday at Indiana, although Nash hasn’t committed to that date.
“He was in isolation for however many days, 10-plus days, I think. For him to come out of that and look as good as he has playing with the stay ready group and getting his rhythm back has been exciting,” Nash said. “We have to give him time to really get his feet under him, but as far as how he looks, he looks very gifted.”
Irving rejoined the team for practice last week after clearing health and safety protocols. If he doesn’t play Wednesday, the next opportunity will be January 12 at Chicago.
“I think he’s on his way. It’s getting close,” Nash added. “We’ve just got to make sure we don’t make a hasty decision, but it’s coming.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nash experimented Thursday by starting LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Claxton on the front line alongside Kevin Durant and he may use that super-sized lineup again, Botte adds in a separate story. “That was really my first time being out there with L.A. (Aldridge). We’ll definitely adjust to it once we get more reps in. Hopefully, we go to it a lot in the near future,” Claxton said. “The biggest adjustment is just having another big on the court.”
- The Celtics will have to decide soon whether to be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, and the team isn’t making the decision easy for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. After going 6-9 in December, Boston closed out the month by routing the Suns, who have the second-best record in the league. The Celtics are currently in ninth place, part of a logjam of teams between fifth and 12th that are just three and a half games apart.
- With Isaac Bonga clearing protocols, the Raptors aren’t currently eligible for any more 10-day hardship contracts, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. The team’s latest injury report lists Bonga as out for today’s game due to conditioning, rather than the health and safety protocols. Today marks the end of Daniel Oturu‘s 10-day deal.
I’m sure Steve Nash will consider bringing Kyrie off the bench to start road games. His part-time participation should sit well with nobody. I sincerely hope his time with the team will lead him to decide to get the vaccinations due to these ridiculous mandates, even though we know he doesn’t need it since he’s not at risk of death.
No one is at risk of death, so leave the man alone, whatever he decides will be the best & right decision for him, & we must respect it, it is a free country after all, right?
You should tell that to KAT. I’m sure he’d feel the same.
A nice experiment with Claxton and LaMarcus Aldridge sharing the court. Perhaps with Kyrie, that lineup will yield more dividens.
The Nets need a quality starting Power-Forward. I don’t know who, I don’t know how. James Johnson is okay off the bench. He’s even good enough to start now. Still, they need better
Watching the Celtics from afar, they lost the identity that propelled them to Game 7 of the ECF against LeBron James and the Cavs – high IQ toughness. I like Timelord, Horford still got it in his older years, and Prichard is feisty. They need an infusion of nasty. Good luck finding it
Celtics definitely have lost something. I thought Horford could bring back some of that team play. It just seems like it’s about Tatum and Jalen now. Not a team offense since that ECF. Also think they need a real rim protector.
Best thing Nets can do now. Is move Kyrie for value. KD window is getting small. Why mess with that for a air head. Go and get Ben or good value. And contend for a few years.
Ben >>>> for >>>> Kyrie
This is a desperation move by Nets that can easily backfire. Get him into shape, and trade him away. Let’s turn the page and play serious basketball.
Comments noting the Celtics have lost “something” are accurate— I’d point to Charlotte, where Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward are both above average starters to low level All Star candidates on any given night.
Replacing with them Kemba and Fournier, and now nothing and nothing, accounts for a good part of Boston’s issues.
The fact Tatum and Brown have stagnated and/or incurred injuries hasn’t helped. Horford does help, but the supporting cast is still too thin for Boston to really contend without one or both of J&J making another leap.
Do you know how much Rozier and Hayward make? Like 50 million a year between them. If the Celtics were paying Hayward and Rozier 50M a year they would be way worse off than they are now.
People act like these decisions just happen in a vacuum. Both Rozier and Harward are overpaid. No one wants those guys at the money they’re making.
The Celtics aren’t a championship contender, that’s for sure, but at this point they’re trying to rework the roster around Brown and Tatum, which they certainly couldnt do if they signed Rozier and Hayward to bloated contracts. The Celtics are attempting to reload for next year.
But Horfords 27 million is just fine?
Your comment would hold more weight if they didn’t exchange Rozier for a maxed out Kemba and Hayward for a 17m trade exception. Clearly the willingness to spend the money wasn’t the only concern.
The reality is the moves they made to avoid paying both players ended up seriously reducing the talent level of the team. Maybe they’ll “reload” next summer, we’ll see.
#LetKyriePlay
Truth is D-Rock got it right. Celts have not been the same since that ECF.
#DonateKyriesSalaryToCharity
Yes. So those handlers who take in said money can line their pockets like they always do. #no