Kyrie Irving is back on the court after missing 26 games with a shoulder injury. Just three games into action with the Nets, Irving says that the missing pieces within the organization are obvious.
According to ESPN, Irving was asked about how Wednesday night’s loss to a top team in the east, Philadelphia, reflects the room for growth for Brooklyn.
Here is Irving’s response: “I mean, it’s transparent. It’s out there. It’s glaring, in terms of the pieces that we need in order to be at that next level. I’m going to continue to reiterate it. We’re going to do the best with the guys that we have in our locker room now, and we’ll worry about all the other stuff, in terms of moving pieces and everything else, as an organization down the line in the summer.”
Irving acknowledged that this is what the new members of the organization signed up for when joining the team during free agency, acknowledging some of the team’s injuries. But even considering everyone healthy, Irving said “I feel like we have great pieces, but it’s pretty glaring we need one more piece or two more pieces that will complement,” himself, Kevin Durant (upon return), and the team’s other starters in order to pursue a championship.
Irving scored 21 points in his first game back on Sunday, missing only one of his field-goal attempts. Tuesday, he scored 32. But in the loss Wednesday — his first back-to-back outing since being back — Irving was a mere 6-for-21 from the floor with 14 points.
