‘Most Expendable Player’: Former Nets Star Believes the Team Can Reach the NBA Finals Without Kyrie Irving

The Brooklyn Nets have announced that Kyrie Irving won’t take part in training until he is eligible to be a ‘full participant’. But Kyrie Irving has already practiced with the Nets last weekend. The Nets then realized that Kyrie won’t be able to play home games due to city protocols. Since then, rumors have started linking Kyrie with a move away from Brooklyn.

Kyrie Irving was a part of the formidable trio in Brooklyn last season that included James Harden and Kevin Durant. The Nets reached the Eastern Conference semis last seas and lost 3-4 to the eventual champions, Milwaukee Bucks.

A lot has happened since then, and now Kyrie is on the verge of not playing for the Nets again. Former Nets star Jim Jackson recently opened up on the Kyrie situation and believes that the Nets can replicate last season’s results without him.

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Jim Jackson believes Brooklyn Nets can reach the finals without Kyrie Irving

Former Brooklyn Nets star and current NBA analyst, Jim Jackson, recently appeared in an interview on ‘No Chill with Gilbert Arenas’. During the interview, he talked about the Kyrie Irving situation and said that the Nets can still reach the finals without him.

“Last year, out of 3900 plus minutes, they (Durant, Harden, and Kyrie) played 202 minutes and still got together as a threesome. And still got to the Eastern Conference final,” Jim said.

“So let’s look at the history. 202 minutes, Their depth in rebounding wasn’t as good as it is now. But still, they were there to compete and beat Milwaukee to get to the final. So you don’t think management is looking at this and said who’s the most expendable player out of these three. So history tells us that if we have these two here along with the built-out roster. We still have a viable chance to get to the final. Now whether we win it, we don’t know, but can we get there in the Eastern Conference with a James Harden and a Kevin Durant in this retool roster. If I’m the management, I’d say yes.”

There was a lot of confusion inside the Brooklyn Nets regarding Kyrie Irving during the off-season. However, one thing is certain now, that the Nets don’t want Kyrie to be a part-time player. They want him full-time with the team throughout the season. However, New York city’s protocols will not Kyrie to do so.

The Nets had the best offensive rating last season, despite their big three playing just 202 mins together. The Nets played their final game against the Bucks without an injured Kyrie. Even Harden was struggling with a hamstring problem. But they gave a tough fight and lost the series 3-4. However, this season they have improved their roster since last season.

This off-season, they exchanged Jeff Green, Tyler Johnson, Landry Shamet, and DeAndre Jordan for Patty Mills, Paul Millsap, James Johnson, DeAndre’ Bembry, and Jevon Carter. Their current roster now boasts good defensive players. With an already good offense and an improved defense, the Nets can challenge for their first NBA championship this season. So, the Nets still have one of the best teams in the NBA if they play without Kyrie this season.

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