3 reasons why it's a Lakers blessing that Kyrie Irving is staying with Nets

3 reasons why it’s a Lakers blessing that Kyrie Irving is staying with Nets

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 05: Kyrie Irving #11 and Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets look on from the bench during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Barclays Center on April 05, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Nets won 118-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

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1. Kyrie Irving is always injured or unavailable

He proved this past season that he would choose is own personal beliefs over his teammates by missing more than half of his team’s games by not wanting to get vaccinated, which is his personal right to choose. But there were also instances of him missing time because he would rather attend a party or be a part of a protest than be a part of his team.

Not to mention he has had plenty of injury issues in the past, and the last thing the Lakers need is another star that can’t even stay on the court. Irving dealt with injuries before even coming to the NBA, he only played 11 games at Duke and missed 26 due to injury.

After turning pro, he has had a multitude of injuries from his shoulder to his finger and especially knee problems. He has missed an average of 26 games every season and has never had a season where he missed less than 10 games.

For comparison, Anthony Davis who has the same injury connotation surrounding his career has missed an average of 21.6 games every season and has missed less than 10 games in two seasons. That is not much better, but it is better, and no one has referred to Irving as “street clothes” for a nickname.

Since becoming a Net, Kyrie has only played in 103 out of the 226 games, and it is big reason why his team has failed to live up to their lofty championship expectations. The Lakers already have two injury prone stars that have dealt with multiple setbacks the past couple of seasons, so adding another one makes no sense.

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