The Brooklyn Nets have been in cruise control for some time, as they just continue piling up wins even in the absence of Kevin Durant. While they wait for their star forward to return to the lineup, their star guards have carried the load as James Harden is once again putting up MVP numbers and Kyrie Irving has embraced his role of being the team’s scoring guard.
However, on their upcoming three game road trip starting on the west coast, where they’ll face Portland, Utah, and Detroit, Irving will not be with the team as he attends to a family matter, as the team announced on Monday.
Kyrie Irving will not accompany the team on this week’s three-game road trip (POR/UTA/DET) in order to tend to a family matter.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 22, 2021
It will be the second time this season Irving has taken some time away from the Nets to deal with a personal, family matter and it seems the Nets are more than willing to accommodate those needs and give him time when he requests it. Hopefully all is well with Irving and his family and he’ll be able to return to the court once the Nets return from their road trip, but the organization will surely give him whatever time he needs to handle whatever is going on off the floor. Last time Irving took time away, he returned at an All-Star level and the Nets’ concerns as a team are with having everyone right for the playoffs, not the regular season, and that sometimes requires some time away, either for physical or mental health, and the organization seems to understand those needs.