Shams/Woj Kyrie is Back for Road Games UPDATE: Entered COVID Protocol

[Prokorov]

Kyrie's also gonna have to immensely toughen up mentally. The media is gonna be all over him before and after good and bad games and they'll definitely start asking the team about him as well before Kyrie's actually returned and definitely comment on him after home games.

He's lucky Malika Andrews doesn't cover the Nets beat for ESPN anymore.

Kyrie and Malika Andrews are tight... its why he gives her answers and responses.

Kyrie is helping a group including andrews produce a film about women/black women breaking through glass ceilings and the hurdles they need to get past to get there. I guess the group Malika is with approached Kyrie and his people after Kyrie produced "say her name" the documentary on breonna taylor

[TheNetsFan]

Wow. Now THAT is surprising. Didn’t think Nets would allow it to happen.

But on 2nd thought, not really that surprising. With the way Covid has hammered the roster, we need any help we can get. KD can’t keep playing 38+ min a game. Or it’ll be a disaster waiting to happen.

Kyrie, even if road games only, is still 10x better than the likes of the Galloways of the world. So welcome back Kyrie.

I’m cautiously optimistic.

I dont think it has anything to do with the COVD outbreak. Shams story on "optimism" came before those players tested positive,

Maybe it had to do with KD's minutes... he was still up there before these last 2 games. But i think it just came down to the coaches/players telling marks they want him back. that and there being a potential plan...

-come back for road games
-maybe adams help you
-if adams doesnt help you the plant based vaccine is a month or 2 away.

It's probably a combination of things. The outbreak is probably the final push over the finish line. Every 10-day contract we have to sign costs Tsai about $500k after luxury taxes. It doesn't sound like a lot, but over the course of the full season, it will add up.

Another factor is likely an eye towards the playoffs. If Tsai, Marks & co. want a full compliment of players, even if it's only for road games, then Kyrie needs to get game time now.

Ultimately, I think the biggest factor is just being able to get KD & Harden some games off.

[Karate Diop]

This is an evolving situation for everyone. I don't think the Nets intended to "back down", but with recent events I think there was a realization that this is the new normal and that even with all the best laid plans and precautions in place you're going to run into instances where players are shuffling in and out of the lineups due to the safety protocols.

With that realization it's my guess that the Nets warmed up to having Kyrie shuffle in and out of the lineup as well... It doesn't hurt that having him play might up his trade value or (in an ideal scenario) help encourage him to get vaccinated by spending more time around his teammates who have.

[Pablo Escobar]

I dont think it has anything to do with the COVD outbreak. Shams story on "optimism" came before those players tested positive,

Maybe it had to do with KD's minutes... he was still up there before these last 2 games. But i think it just came down to the coaches/players telling marks they want him back. that and there being a potential plan...

-come back for road games
-maybe adams help you
-if adams doesnt help you the plant based vaccine is a month or 2 away.

Pfizer/Moderna have no animal products in them so what's the diff between them and the plant based? the other vaccines were available for him to get before the season started but all of a sudden he's going the get the plant based one.. yup makes a ton of sense.

[_Und3r][D4wg_]

Pfizer/Moderna have no animal products in them so what's the diff between them and the plant based? the other vaccines were available for him to get before the season started but all of a sudden he's going the get the plant based one.. yup makes a ton of sense.

It's probably the mRNA tech for those vaccines that he's most apprehensive about.

[MrDollarBills]

Pfizer/Moderna have no animal products in them so what's the diff between them and the plant based? the other vaccines were available for him to get before the season started but all of a sudden he's going the get the plant based one.. yup makes a ton of sense.

It's probably the mRNA tech for those vaccines that he's most apprehensive about.

Then he actually needs to do his research.

He's an idiot

[MrDollarBills]

Kyrie's also gonna have to immensely toughen up mentally. The media is gonna be all over him before and after good and bad games and they'll definitely start asking the team about him as well before Kyrie's actually returned and definitely comment on him after home games.

He's lucky Malika Andrews doesn't cover the Nets beat for ESPN anymore.

Can you imagine the reaction if Kyrie takes a personal day as a part-time player?

Dude is only going to play 18 regular season games at most too.

I think he's a moron for not getting vaccinated. Why would you want to play part time?

I'm glad we'll at least have him, but really it's stupid. He has nothing to be afraid of.

[Sharcm1]

Does anyone else think that they are really letting him play because they want to trade him and need him to show his stuff first. Just a thought.

[MrDollarBills]

Does anyone else think that they are really letting him play because they want to trade him and need him to show his stuff first. Just a thought.

I wouldn't be against it.

He needs to get the shot.

[NetsWorld]

It would be stupid to play him for just road games in the playoffs though; I expect him to get vaccinated eventually and be fully available come playoffs. And him starting in January is good because he’s fresh and we’d be three months closer to the playoffs. Let’s get that ring baby. Hopefully Harden took this time to get better as well and recover to some degree with the health and safety protocol.

[NetsWorld]

Does anyone else think that they are really letting him play because they want to trade him and need him to show his stuff first. Just a thought.

I wouldn't be against it.

He needs to get the shot.

They won’t trade him unless it’s star for star. A Lillard type or even LBJ( Kyrie ain’t playing with him so trade for each other). With LBJ we would be virtually unbeatable to the nth degree.

[CalamityX12]

Disappointed in the Brass backpedaling after their stance from the beginning of the season. It's ironic that now with rates hitting high they bring in this fool in which creates another exposure.

But the team is suffering and to curtail Nash inability to limit Kd minutes brought us to this.

Let's see how this goes. Damn shame, the young kids were the best part of this team behind KD.

[MrDollarBills]

Disappointed in the Brass backpedaling after their stance from the beginning of the season. It's ironic that now with rates hitting high they bring in this fool in which creates another exposure.

But the team is suffering and to curtail Nash inability to limit Kd minutes brought us to this.

Let's see how this goes. Damn shame, the young kids were the best part of this team behind KD.

The team had no choice. The roster has been decimated and it's costing luxury taxes to field replacements.

[Rich Rane]

With our luck, watch this guy contract COVID not long after he's activated.

Bruh...

Read on Twitter

[Paradise]

Read on Twitter

[Shark]

Is he entering protocols because he hasn't played and is unvaxxed or because he actually tested positive?

[gigantes]

Nets sacrifice safety and sanity by caving to unvaccinated Kyrie Irving
By Vincent Goodwill

Make it make sense.

The NBA is going through a wave of COVID-19 diagnoses, even among the vaccinated and perhaps the boosted, and the Brooklyn Nets decide to kowtow to Kyrie Irving...?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nets-sacrifice-safety-and-sanity-by-caving-to-unvaccinated-kyrie-irving-024127922.html

No, @sshole (or "sports hack," your choice).

The Nets kowtowed bowed to REALITY in bringing Kyrie back for most road games.


I also like very much what Billy Reinhardt said:

I’ve always believed the best chance for the Nets to get Kyrie Irving vaccinated would come from him spending the majority of his time around his teammates & coaches — all of whom are vaccinated — rather than being home in his bubble/echo chamber.

So, the You catch more flies with honey approach.

Frankly, I could very much see that working, mainly because of how the human mind works. That is, I'm thinking what Kyrie needs most of all is a dignified 'out.' What we had been challenging him with (through no fault of the Nets) is an ultimatum upon backing down and essentially acknowledging his foolishness. And who wants to go that route, amirite?

Funny, but all the recent Nets injuries and CV19 removals have turned this in to a pretty brilliant opportunity to make Reinhardt's theory work out for us.

In any case, as hard as I've been on Kyrie through all this, I'm REALLY okay with this move (it was much-needed), and can actually see a huge resolution, end of the day. I.e., Kyrie finally discovering a reason to get his fluffin' shots!

[Jay555]

Can Kylie now get the temporary medical exemption?
If so, that works out perfectly for us. Let’s say he gets 3-6 months exemption then he can play all the games?

The New York City Department of Health has indicated that the medical basis for a temporary medical exemption includes:
• An employee who is within the isolation period after COVID-19 infection.
• An employee who is within 90 days of monoclonal antibody or convalescent plasma treatment
of COVID-19.
• Treatments for conditions as delineated in CDC clinical considerations, with the understanding
that CDC guidance can be updated to modify considerations over time, and/or determined by a treating physician with a valid medical license responsible for immunosuppressive therapy, including full and appropriate documentation that may warrant temporary medical exemption for some period of time because of active therapy or treatment (e.g. stem cell transplant, CAR T- cell therapy) that would temporarily interfere with the patient’s ability to respond adequately to vaccination, or mount an immune response due to treatment.
• Pericarditis or myocarditis not associated with COVID-19 vaccination or pericarditis or myocarditis associated with COVID-19 vaccination.
Note: The length of temporary medical exemption will be determined on a case-by-case basis and with consideration for provided medical documentation. An employee will be required to be vaccinated at the end of the temporary period. The length of the temporary period and any extension should be determined based on the employee’s circumstances through the cooperative dialogue with the employee.

[TheNetsFan]

Kyrie could be in the protocol because of close contact since he's not vaccinated. It doesn't mean he tested positive. Either scenario puts him in the protocol.

[Prokorov]

1) the idea that the nets "caved" or "backpedaled" is nonsense and irrelevant. Smart people and smart organizations dont get caught up in who "won" or if we change or minds "we look weak". smart people and organizations care about what benefits them most in the present and future. people who "stick to their guns" even thought its clear reversing course would benefit them are morons whose pride is going to ruin them. The Nets are proving to be a good organization. do whats best at the time even if its a change. change is good, embrace it. embrace hiumility, and ignore noise about nonsense like pride or caving or whatever.

2) The idea that kyrie "jeoparized the teams safety" because he has COVID is comically hillarious when over half the team was infected before he even came back. hell, its more likely that Kyrie coming to HSS being around the nets where COVID has been rampant jeopardizes him moreso then him jeopardizing the team.

3) Kyrie testing positive without symtoms/complications is actually a really good thing longterm. its mandatory 60 days from infection until you can get vaccinated. 60 days puts us into febuary/March, when the plant based vaccine projects to be available. that means no speculaiton and easy awnsers when asked about him getting vaxed. its no longer "im waiting on a plant vaccine" now its "well i need to wait 60 days before im even eligible. small nuiance, but the timeline and the waiitng period helps