The Brooklyn Nets are not yet sure if Kyrie Irving will start when he makes his season debut in a road game at the Indiana Pacers.
Steve Nash is confident that Irving will play "a big chunk of the game."
"I don't think it's where he can play 38 [minutes]," Nash said after Wednesday's shootaround. "But I think he can play a big chunk of the game. He's played a lot -- he's had three or four full court days with the 5-on-5, so I think he's capable of playing extended minutes, but not necessarily his customary high 30s."
Irving is not vaccinated for COVID-19 and is ineligible to play in home games due to a New York City mandate.
The Nets initially decided not to allow Irving to be a part time player and Nash was asked why the arrangement would work now.
"I think when we realized how much stuff was thrown at us, COVID, COVID got dicey," Nash said. "We ended up having 13 players who had COVID. We were going around signing a bunch of 10-days when we have a guy who can play for us, so what's the difference between a 10-day and a guy -- those are part-time players too.
"It was an opportunity to bring [Irving] back in the fold and use a resource that we have that we weren't using. So -- everything has been in flux this season and last season so I think there's the other case to it too. We have been adaptable. We've found solutions. We've found ways to work through situations. We're going to bring him back in now."
