Much has been made about Kyrie Irving and his reported moodiness just a few games into the Brooklyn Nets season. Many have not been surprised by the reports, meanwhile others have backed up the idea that it’s okay for Irving to take some much-needed mental space during the course of a busy NBA calendar year.
Several of Irving’s teammates have refuted the idea that Irving has been an issue already, including DeAndre Jordan. Spencer Dinwiddie even went so far as to wager a guess as to who leaked this information to the press, saying it was Daryl Morey and the Houston Rockets’ front office.
Now, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson has weighed in on the whole debacle, and he’s on the side of his superstar.
Via Twitter:
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said, from his perspective, the notion that Kyrie Irving’s mood swings are a concern among Brooklyn team officials is totally false. https://t.co/Q1ZdFEIQpE
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 29, 2019
Irving has a reputation, and there seems to be some reticence to give him the benefit of the doubt. That’s probably due to the nature in which Irving has conducted himself in the past, which it hasn’t always jived with the money or social position he’s demanded on previous teams.
Whatever the case, it was unlikely that things were going to be smooth sailing with Irving in Brooklyn. He’s a galaxy brain-level thinker at times, and the hope is that won’t affect how he plays on the court. This season is just a trial run or things are going to go next year with Kevin Durant, so the stakes aren’t super high.
All anyone wants is for things not to blow up with the Nets before Durant has a chance to step on the court. Whether these reports of Irving causing trouble are truth or subterfuge, we will soon find out as the rest of the regular season unfolds in Brooklyn.
