Kyrie Irving is a microcosm of all the most alluring and bothersome qualities exhibited by the Brooklyn Nets. One month after the James Harden trade, it’s Irving’s own strengths and weaknesses that most embody the team’s. Every Nets game is chock full of majestic offense and myriad crippling pratfalls on the other end. It’s messy and frustrating but hardly inconsistent.
Irving is who he is and does what he does; few stars have ever been more captivating while holding their own franchise captive. In this case, despite having two all-time stabilizing Hall of Fame talents onboard, Brooklyn’s on-court identity has been indistinguishable from its third All-Star, the one who most frequently turns basketball games into a brake-free joy ride.