Irving obviously didn't play last night.

He hasn't played in the last five games due to personal reasons.

What should we expect from him?

I think when Kyrie gets back, and by the way, the next game he misses will mean that in his Nets tenure he will have missed twice as many games as he's played.

He hasn't been durable, and even when he's been physically healthy, sometimes he hasn't been available.

And maybe because of his behavior off the court, he won't be available, even if his personal issues are settled to the point where he can play and he's physically ready.

I mean, that's a lot of lack of availability from Kyrie.

But let's say by the All Star break, all that stuff is squared away and he's playing with this team.

Kyrie has shown in the past that whether he's on ball or off ball, he is capable of playing with another ball dominant.

I mean, you wanna call LeBron a backcourt player, a front court player.

LeBron runs your offense.

He's played with a guy like that.

It has had to play off ball at times and has also been, you know, the primary ball handler.

At times, Kyrie has already shown that he's capable of playing with a guy like that.

Now LeBron is a more generous pastor because he's a more brilliant basketball mind in that respect than James Harden.

And probably that made it easier for Kyrie Irving.

But I do expect at least on offense for Kyrie, for the potential for Kyrie to fit in with Harden and K D.

Kyrie is the person that we should all keep our eyes on.

And we should all keep our eyes on, because in reality, Kyrie Irving is going to be the third option on this team.

And the question is, how receptive is he going to be with two?

That we don't know?

Um, we know that carries a superstar talent.

You go that he's got the nastiest handling skills in basketball.

Ast Far as I'm concerned, he's box office.

When he wants to play, he is worth paying to see play.

Um, but I'm gonna tell you, Max, what I heard yesterday, um, that I was reminded yesterday and I read part of the quote to you on the air where I was told that listen, he keeps this up the Brooklyn Nets may have the power to avoid his contract.

Now, do I think something like that is gonna happen?

No, I do not believe that's gonna happen.

I don't think Kevin Durant's gonna let that happen.

I think Kevin Durant loves him too much.

He values him too much.

He respects him too much.

Hey, wants him there.

That's not going to happen.

And I do believe that Kyrie Irving, because Kevin Durant is his friend in the end, is not going to let K d down.

I truly believe that.

But that does not mean we we get to the gate mentioning what has transpired thus far.

What transpired?

What has transpired thus far is that he's left them toe hanging dry, not just k D.

But the Brooklyn Nets is an organization being very unpredictable.

He's healthy, He's not playing, he's healthy.

He's not playing.

He's on social media, caught on social media, partying with family members and friends.

He's, you know, he's on social media, doing stuff for social justice issues which we all appreciate, and respect, particularly is black people in this nation, and we and we definitely owe him a debt of gratitude for and his charitable A tendencies be the W N B.

A.

Could speak to that, along with various others.

His heart is clearly in the right place, but the focus, the discipline, the determination that comes along with being a star of a franchise and doing your job first.

He has clearly not mastered that, and so because of it, you have to look at him and wonder what's going toe happen.

Because what is the Brooklyn Nets as an organization supposed to tolerate and dare I say, Max, what is the N b a supposed to tolerate?

What kind of messages said, If you remember Max, I told you years ago the only thing that I lamented about what LeBron James when he made the announcement, I'm taking my talents to South Beach.

How he handled things with Dan Gilbert.

Owners remembered.

That came C b a negotiation time, and you never can ignore that, because usually it's not the individual player that gets his comeuppance down the road.

It's the players that that have less value, and the hammer is brought down on the collective whole because of the actions off a few.

You never know what this stuff and you got to pay attention to it.

Well, look, Kyrie has to look himself in the mirror right now because the fact is, you're right to point this out, which you kind of alluded Thio In Cleveland, he was the second best player in the Big three.

Now he is the third best player in the Big Three.

That's a little different, but the create.

But the reason I say is to look at himself in the mirror is who do you think is a better shooter, Harden or Kyrie?

The answer by the numbers is Kyrie.

He shoots the three better.

Of course.

Hardened takes a lot more off them.

He shoots free throws a little better, although again, Harden takes more of them.

And in terms of finishing in the paint under the rim, I think Kyrie is the best I've ever seen.

Certainly, he's on a very, very short list.

So from Kyrie Irving's point of view, he's like actually, when you break down the skills, how is this dude better than me?

But he is, and that's universally acknowledged, and Kyrie has to ask himself, Why now?

As far as James Harden's concern Stephen A.

He's the dude who is gonna have to be sacrificing, in fact, because really hardens.

Greatness is this.

A lot of guys shoot the three as well, or better than him, at least by the numbers.

Free throws to all that stuff hardens.

Greatness really comes out.

His usage is so high.

He plays so many minutes.

He's involved so much in the offense, and yet he's able to maintain those rates.

Usually, if you shoot from three or four, you know free throws a certain level, especially from three, the more you shoot it, maybe that's gonna go down a little because you're taking tough shots.

You're shooting.

A lot of them hardens, doesn't it?

A lot of his value is that kind of stuff.

How he can fill it up.

He's the one Stephen A who's gonna be giving up touches that he normally wouldn't be giving up more than Kyrie.

I spoke to two coaches just and I'll in the segment by saying this, Molly.

I spoke to two coaches yesterday.

They laugh at them being in Brooklyn.

They said all the talent in the world, let's see what Kyrie does will even be there Stephen A.

And they left it at that.

That Stephen A.

Let me ask you one thing real quick, you recall.

I'm sure this is right before my time, when Earl the Pearl Monroe got traded to the Knicks from Washington and joined Clyde Frazier and Clyde Frazier.

Very different personality than Kyrie Irving.

Of course, the whole question in New York basketball is How are these two dudes, right?

Black Jesus and and Clyde Frazier going to share the ball?

There's Onley one ball.

They want a championship together.

It's not impossible.

It's not impossible.

But you gotta You gotta wanna work.

They wanted to work.

They wanted to show up to work and and work.

You gotta wanna come.

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