James Harden Reacts To Nets’ Decision To Rule Out Kyrie Irving

James Harden, Brooklyn Nets, NBA News
NBA Analysis Network

The Brooklyn Nets begin their regular season less than one week from now and they will be doing it without their starting point guard, Kyrie Irving. The NBA All-Star has not yet received the COVID-19 vaccination, which means that he is not eligible to play the entire.

Given the current mandates in New York, Irving would be ineligible to play in any games at Barclays Center or Madison Square Garden, which means he would miss at least 43 regular-season games off the bat.

The Nets decided that if Irving cannot be a full-time player, he would not be allowed to play with the team at all. Brooklyn announced that until he is vaccinated and a full-time player, Irving will not be playing with the Nets.

It is not an easy decision to make, but it is the right one. There were a lot of people involved in the decision, including Kevin Durant, James Harden, owner Joe Tsai, and general manager Sean Marks.

LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: NBA Insider Reveals Nets’ Stance On Kyrie Irving Trade

Head coach Steve Nash recently talked about how he felt about the decision for Irving to sit out. Harden also had a presser, reacting to Irving’s decision to sit out as well, saying they can only focus on the players who are there full time.

That is the right mindset to have. There is nothing they can do about Irving, so focusing more time and energy on it will just take away from the thing that matters; winning games on the court with the ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship.

LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: NBA Insider Reveals Nets’ Stance On Kyrie Irving Trade

With Irving sidelined for the foreseeable future, Harden will likely assume more of a point guard role with the Nets. It was a role he has shown he is capable of handling and he could thrive in. But, the team will also need him to remain aggressive looking for his shots.

He and Kevin Durant will be doing the heavy lifting offensively without Irving and his 27 points per game that he has averaged during his Nets tenure.

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