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https://www.netsdaily.com/2021/12/13/22832179/shams-nets-have-renewed-optimism-re-kyrie-irving-return

There is renewed optimism around Irving returning to the Nets this season, sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Athletic.

It remains unclear whether Irving’s potential return this season would come via vaccination to meet New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement or by Brooklyn opening the door for him to play road games and practice at home, but sources have indicated a renewed belief that Irving could play this season after all. Nets players and coaches want to have Irving rejoin the team as soon as possible. In recent weeks, Irving and Kevin Durant, his co-star and close friend, have had increased communication about his fit on the team, breaking down the games, and about life in general, sources added. There appears to be an increased level of enthusiasm between the two superstars.

If KD and Kyrie are talking, hopefully this means Kyrie is warming up to the idea of getting the JnJ one and done vaccine so that he would be able to play after the two week waiting period.

However, if not:

If no resolution occurs for Irving to rejoin the team by the Feb. 10 trade deadline, the Nets could be faced with a decision to make on potential offers they continue to receive. Several teams have placed calls into the Nets since Oct. 12, but Brooklyn has not engaged.

Kyrie coming back would solve our offensive issues and combined with our near elite defense, I can't see anyone beating us. The team would finally function as Marks envisioned when he built this roster.

I am not getting my hopes up, but I doubt Shams would put this out there if it didn't have legs.

Live look at my in my office:

It's a blessing. I was harboring hate all year and gave it up finally.

The only thing I could see is KD + Harden pushing the team to let him play road games.

I'm personally not getting my hopes up at all. Kyrie could get vaccinated today and I have no faith that he won't randomly disappear or get hurt to end the year. He's an amazing player but hes proven to be unreliable and not durable.

This could work out huge for us, he probably needed some downtime and he will be less prone health wise

MrDollarBills wrote:Kyrie coming back would solve our offensive issues and combined with our near elite defense, I can't see anyone beating us. The team would finally function as Marks envisioned when he built this roster.

I think you can put kyrie at SG, move patty to the bench and keep Bembry starting even when harris is back. I cant see our defense getting worse just swapping patty for kyrie. Our offense would go back to being all-time great and our bench also goes nuclear...

Harden | Kyrie | Bembry | KD | LMA

Mills | Harris | [STAR] | Johnson/Brown | Claxton/Blake

Carter | Cam Thomas | Duke Jr. | Milsap | Sharpe

Thats title favorites.

I am not getting my hopes up, but I doubt Shams would put this out there if it didn't have legs.

I can't see him sitting out the year. he said in his instagram live back right before the season started he isnt retiring and he isnt looking to miss an entire season. That and his increase social media presence, more and more (legit) insider stuff leaked and it seems optomistic to me he will play....

I've seen tweets (no one legit) speculating he will start playing road games until the plant vaccine is a thing. who knows maybe him and marks can put a plan together?

At the end of the day, if KD says let him play road games, he's playing road games. so there is some semi-good news even if he is waiting on some plant thing.

My hope is that he plays all games.

MGrand15 wrote:The only thing I could see is KD + Harden pushing the team to let him play road games.

I'm personally not getting my hopes up at all. Kyrie could get vaccinated today and I have no faith that he won't randomly disappear or get hurt to end the year. He's an amazing player but hes proven to be unreliable and not durable.

I agree with Durability... concern going back to high school.

Reliability, i would challenge. until this year, he hadnt missed alot of time to non-injury. he missed 4 games to personal reasons related to having a child (milsap missed 3 for the same thing this year). He missed 2 games when kobe died, the game the night he died and the next one.

To me, those are all legit.

He missed a game in minnesota basically protesting all the racist stuff/police shootings. i believe KAT sat that game out for the same reasons.

The issue with kyrie is you dont get the reasons or the insight in real time. its "personal reasons" then the media goes for the throat then later we get the reason, which 9 times out of 10 has been really reasonable.

It'd be a real joy to see him play with the team again. Call me sentimental, but this guy chose us. I would be so bummed if I've already seen his last game as a Net.

MGrand15 wrote:The only thing I could see is KD + Harden pushing the team to let him play road games.

I'm personally not getting my hopes up at all. Kyrie could get vaccinated today and I have no faith that he won't randomly disappear or get hurt to end the year. He's an amazing player but hes proven to be unreliable and not durable.

I’m not getting my hopes up either.

Also, if he plays, let it be all games. Please not this road games only BS.

Suwanee wrote:

MGrand15 wrote:The only thing I could see is KD + Harden pushing the team to let him play road games.

I'm personally not getting my hopes up at all. Kyrie could get vaccinated today and I have no faith that he won't randomly disappear or get hurt to end the year. He's an amazing player but hes proven to be unreliable and not durable.

I’m not getting my hopes up either.

Also, if he plays, let it be all games. Please not this road games only BS.

I can handle road games only if its short term as he waits for some imminent plant vaccine or expected mandate changes.

Also, "only road games" sounds lame now... but when your down 2-0 in the playoffs headed to the other teams building, it all of a sudden doesnt sound so bad.

We need Kyrie man. Even if its just for road games.

KD can't do it all himself. And he knows it.

I hope he comes back.

Prokorov wrote:

MrDollarBills wrote:Kyrie coming back would solve our offensive issues and combined with our near elite defense, I can't see anyone beating us. The team would finally function as Marks envisioned when he built this roster.

I think you can put kyrie at SG, move patty to the bench and keep Bembry starting even when harris is back. I cant see our defense getting worse just swapping patty for kyrie. Our offense would go back to being all-time great and our bench also goes nuclear...

Harden | Kyrie | Bembry | KD | LMA

Mills | Harris | [STAR] | Johnson/Brown | Claxton/Blake

Carter | Cam Thomas | Duke Jr. | Milsap | Sharpe

Thats title favorites.

I am not getting my hopes up, but I doubt Shams would put this out there if it didn't have legs.

I can't see him sitting out the year. he said in his instagram live back right before the season started he isnt retiring and he isnt looking to miss an entire season. That and his increase social media presence, more and more (legit) insider stuff leaked and it seems optomistic to me he will play....

I've seen tweets (no one legit) speculating he will start playing road games until the plant vaccine is a thing. who knows maybe him and marks can put a plan together?

At the end of the day, if KD says let him play road games, he's playing road games. so there is some semi-good news even if he is waiting on some plant thing.

Someone on twitter brought up a good point: If Kyrie does happen to return even at least for road games, him being around the team and having them in his ear instead of the echo chamber that he has around him while being isolated could lead him to eventually caving in and getting the vaccine so that he can be available 100% for the playoffs.

And yes, you absolutely keep Bembry in the starting line up if Kyrie comes back.

Adding Kyrie and Harris to this mix will boost our offense from #12 to 6 or higher. Add that with our top 10 defense, and we're looking at a championship.

MrDollarBills wrote:

Prokorov wrote:

MrDollarBills wrote:Kyrie coming back would solve our offensive issues and combined with our near elite defense, I can't see anyone beating us. The team would finally function as Marks envisioned when he built this roster.

I think you can put kyrie at SG, move patty to the bench and keep Bembry starting even when harris is back. I cant see our defense getting worse just swapping patty for kyrie. Our offense would go back to being all-time great and our bench also goes nuclear...

Harden | Kyrie | Bembry | KD | LMA

Mills | Harris | [STAR] | Johnson/Brown | Claxton/Blake

Carter | Cam Thomas | Duke Jr. | Milsap | Sharpe

Thats title favorites.

I am not getting my hopes up, but I doubt Shams would put this out there if it didn't have legs.

I can't see him sitting out the year. he said in his instagram live back right before the season started he isnt retiring and he isnt looking to miss an entire season. That and his increase social media presence, more and more (legit) insider stuff leaked and it seems optomistic to me he will play....

I've seen tweets (no one legit) speculating he will start playing road games until the plant vaccine is a thing. who knows maybe him and marks can put a plan together?

At the end of the day, if KD says let him play road games, he's playing road games. so there is some semi-good news even if he is waiting on some plant thing.

Someone on twitter brought up a good point: If Kyrie does happen to return even at least for road games, him being around the team and having them in his ear instead of the echo chamber that he has around him while being isolated could lead him to eventually caving in and getting the vaccine so that he can be available 100% for the playoffs.

And yes, you absolutely keep Bembry in the starting line up if Kyrie comes back.

Adding Kyrie and Harris to this mix will boost our offense from #12 to 6 or higher. Add that with our top 10 defense, and we're looking at a championship.

Thats a good point... i think it would be harder for him to miss games at home when he is playing on the road and enjoying basketball and his teammates... especially big games at home like when the knicks are back in our building.

Hello Brooklyn wrote:We need Kyrie man. Even if its just for road games.

KD can't do it all himself. And he knows it.

I hope he comes back.

Yeah, at this point, we have to go for it. KD is carrying a huge offensive load, we shouldn't need him to score 51 points to beat the Pistons without Jerami Grant

MrDollarBills wrote:

Hello Brooklyn wrote:We need Kyrie man. Even if its just for road games.

KD can't do it all himself. And he knows it.

I hope he comes back.

Yeah, at this point, we have to go for it. KD is carrying a huge offensive load, we shouldn't need him to score 51 points to beat the Pistons without Jerami Grant

It will be a huge boost for our offense....

No one can Guard KD, but it kills our offense when we just go mid-baseline post up to KD. no one moves and when they double he isnt the best passing out of it.

Harden used to be unguardable. he is getting closer to being there but less space with no lob threat, no harris, and no kyrie. Harden is ULTRA Quick, but he isnt super fast. Kyrie adds that speed dimension we only have with mills, and he is not really a driver

Kyrie can't be guarded 1 on 1. he turns it over less then Harden/KD and while not the best assist man can still effectively pass when help comes. He gives us another guy who can consistently get to the rim and hit threes and until harden is back to normal he is our best finisher at the rim among smalls.

Kyrie is also a huge threat on the break, spacing for three or going coast to coast

Also harder to double or help with Kyrie on the floor.

in his basence you see how much he is missed but also forget just how great he is offensively.... We could certainly use this vs the bulls...

This is..... a nothing story?? This changes nothing. Feels like there is a new story about Kyrie every 1-2 weeks, just to get/keep his name out there.

I'll pay attention when something actually changes.

Surprised there is no thread for this on the GB... especially since there is a wiretap article and its Shams.

MGrand15 wrote:The only thing I could see is KD + Harden pushing the team to let him play road games.

I'm personally not getting my hopes up at all. Kyrie could get vaccinated today and I have no faith that he won't randomly disappear or get hurt to end the year. He's an amazing player but hes proven to be unreliable and not durable.

I'm at the point where I want him to just play road games, just so that his trade value can go up and the team has more leverage for a trade by the deadline if he doesn't get vaccinated.

3pt_chucker wrote:This is..... a nothing story?? This changes nothing. Feels like there is a new story about Kyrie every 1-2 weeks, just to get/keep his name out there.

I'll pay attention when something actually changes.

it is definitely a story.

If the team has renewed optimism, it needs to be event based. It isnt like marks just woke up and was like "ya know, i feel better about kyrie playing today"

Shams spells out it could be road games, which would be a pivot for marks. he points out KD has talked with him more, to this point that hasnt happened. This on the heels of the plant based vaccine stuff

before today the only real news was eric adamas/NYC mandate stuff or wild speculation about "crytic kyrie IG posts"

this is for sure news