Irving made his official appearance against the Pacers and was on the court for the first time this season, with the Nets taking a thrilling victory. Although Irving is still a "part-time" player, his talent will still greatly improve the Nets' performance on the road, and Irving's return will undoubtedly make the Nets the biggest favorite in the championship, and he can make the Nets better in 3 ways.
3. Leadership
After the Nets lacked manpower due to injuries and health and safety agreements, they had to count on the team's rookies to stand up, Thomas has proved themselves, but Edwards, Sharp and others still need to work hard, soon they will share the court with Irving, for some rookies, learning from the NBA's top scoring ability is a rare opportunity.
With four months to go before the playoffs, Irving's abilities will also come into play, having already played five playoff games and having extensive experience while being able to help Harden take on organizational responsibilities and increase leadership on the court. He knows what it's like to be a championship and how to do it, and last season he played one of the best seasons of his career.
2. Durability"
Everyone was shocked when the Nets decided to allow Irving to play, after all, the team said in a Statement on October 12 that They would not allow Irving to play any game without vaccination, however, they had to reverse that decision two months later. In addition to Durant and others in the middle of the mediation, the Nets' personnel rotation and dilemma are also one of the reasons.
Under the influence of injuries and epidemics, Harden and Durant's workload is very large, Durant's average appearance time is the first in the league, and Harden is only 0.4 minutes less than Durant, such a long appearance will reduce their "durability" and increase the risk of injury in the playoffs.
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Remember the horrific offenses of Irving, Harden and Durant on the floor last season, when they set NBA records and could destroy every opponent just by taking turns alone? Durant has averaged 29.7 points per game this season, the league's top scorer, Harden with 22.7 points, and the third highest after that is Mills' 13.8 points, with a serious break in the middle.
Last season, Irving averaged 26.9 points per game, very efficient, this season the Nets twice lost to the current number one Bulls, are big problems in attack, the next time against, it is Irving to show their opportunity, hoping to shake off the rust.