Brooklyn Nets

David Aldridge argues that Kyrie Irving is harder to replace than Kevin Durant

Published by
Zach Stevens

The Brooklyn Nets have had one of the NBA’s most talented squads over the last couple of seasons, but they have very little to show for it.

Both of their stars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, have been injury-prone, and NBA reporter David Aldridge thinks Irving would actually be harder to replace should he get hurt.

“I don’t think they can replace Kyrie,” said Aldridge. “It sounds crazy, I think they can more easily replace KD than they can replace Kyrie, ’cause nobody does what Kyrie does!”

Irving is certainly a sensational player who has skills very few throughout NBA history could match.

He is an incredible ball-handler, to the point where many think he is the greatest ever in that category. His ability to break off defenders and elude traps and double teams is the stuff of legends.

Irving is one of the top scorers in the league, like Durant, and both of them score very efficiently, whether it’s at the rim or from 3-point range.

But perhaps Irving’s most valuable quality is his crunch-time production. He is arguably the NBA’s best and most dangerous player in the clutch, and he has made numerous clutch shots throughout his career.

But the counter to this argument is the fact that some of Irving’s teams, including these Nets, have seemingly been better when he has been injured.

During the 2019-20 season, Brooklyn actually did very well when Irving was out with a shoulder injury.

But overall, the Nets sorely need Irving.

His refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccine torpedoed their season last year, as he wasn’t allowed to play in any games that took place in the five boroughs that make up New York City, per a citywide vaccine mandate.

As a result, the team never built any true chemistry, leaving it ripe for the picking when it got swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

If Irving, Durant and new teammate Ben Simmons are healthy, committed and motivated, the Nets will have a real shot at winning their first-ever NBA championship this coming season.

Zach Stevens

Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif. and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA and NFL fan since he was a little kid in the mid-'90s, and he has always loved soaking up knowledge about both leagues and their respective histories. He feels strongly that sports aren't just entertainment, but also a means for learning life lessons.

Published by
Zach Stevens

Recent Posts

Hall of Famer claims Steph Curry would’ve averaged 17 PPG or less in his era: ‘We would’ve hurt him’

An anonymous Hall of Famer allegedly told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that if Golden State…

7 hours ago

Report: NBA GM believed Grizzlies would have had to shop Ja Morant this summer before they fired Taylor Jenkins

Earlier on in the year, long before the Memphis Grizzlies dismissed Taylor Jenkins after he…

1 day ago

Ja Morant opens up about Grizzlies firing Taylor Jenkins: ‘It’s tough for me’

Guard Ja Morant suited up for the first time since the Memphis Grizzlies fired Taylor…

2 days ago

Tyrese Haliburton on ‘easy decision’ to name SGA MVP: ‘If you took a player poll, I’m sure he would win’

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a compelling case to win this season's MVP…

3 days ago

Report: ‘Early expectation’ is that Clint Capela will sign elsewhere this summer

Big man Clint Capela is in his fifth season playing for the Atlanta Hawks, and…

5 days ago

Stephen A. says LeBron is in his feelings: ‘Could it be because I don’t believe you’re the G.O.A.T.?’

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith claimed on Wednesday that if his confrontation with Los Angeles Lakers…

6 days ago