Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn admits there’s ‘some uncertainty’ over how to keep up momentum and integrate suspended Kyrie Irving after five wins in the eight games he missed
Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn admitted there’s ‘some uncertainty’ over how he fits disgraced star Kyrie Irving back into the team following his suspension.
The 30-year-old is reportedly set to return on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies after eight games away.
Irving was indefinitely banned by the Nets ‘until he satisfied a series of objective remedial measures that addressed the harmful impact of his conduct’ after posting a link to the Amazon page of a film based on a book described as ‘anti-Semitic’.
He has missed eight games since being suspended on November 3 and in his absence the Nets have sealed five victories.
‘Yeah, there is some uncertainty there for sure,’ Vaughn said, as reported by The New York Post.
Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn (right) admitted there’s ‘some uncertainty’ over how he fits disgraced star Kyrie Irving (left) back into the team following his suspension
‘My approach is the train is going to keep moving. And that train of playing hard, playing together, being a team, that’s going to continue.
‘And it’s going to be up to me to get our group to incorporate everybody. But the train is gonna keep moving.’
Irving is closing in on a return with the team and NBA happy with Irving’s action since being banned, reported The Athletic.
He was suspended for at least five games and served that minimum ban last Saturday but owner Joe Tsai said Irving still had ‘work to do’ at their win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Irving could reportedly make his Nets comeback from suspension on Sunday evening
‘We’re playing a different brand of basketball than we were when he last played,’ Nets star Kevin Durant added.
‘So I know coach is looking forward to adding another weapon in our offense, and he’s been drawing up some amazing plays for us so I know he’s got some more stuff up his sleeve for Ky.’
Irving ignited controversy by tweeting a link to the Amazon page for the 2018 film ‘Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America.’
The movie is based on a 2015 book by the same name, which Rolling Stone described as ‘venomously anti-Semitic.’
After posting the Amazon link to the film on Twitter, Irving quarreled with media, telling reporters ‘I’m not going to stand down on anything that I believe in.’ He then appeared to backtrack by deleting the post without an explanation.
The 30-year-old ignited controversy by tweeting a link to the Amazon page for the 2018 film ‘Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America’
After days of competing statements from Irving, the Nets, Tsai, and Silver, the club suspended the All-Star for at least five games.
Irving, who has been criticized for failing to apologize, finally said he was sorry in a statement, but only after he got his minimum five-game ban from the Nets.
The Nets released an angry and frustrated statement earlier this month, saying the decision to suspend Irving stemmed from his ongoing lack of apology, the latest of refusal coming after an awful media appearance.
While Tsai told The Post last weekend: ‘He still has work to do. He has to show people that he’s sorry.
‘What’s important — and what people miss — is he only apologized after he was suspended.’
Irving has never had a fixed date for his return after being suspended earlier this month.
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