The Brooklyn Nets will be without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving on Friday night against the Sacramento Kings, per the New York Post’s Brian Lewis.
Irving is out with a right shoulder impingement injury that has sidelined him the previous three games.
When Irving doesn’t play this season, the Nets are 2-1. With Irving being new to the team, there will be an adjustment period when it comes to creating new chemistry.
Irving is a different guard compared to former Nets guard D’Angelo Russell. Irving feeds on isolations; Russell thrives in making plays in the pick-and-roll.
Still, Irving has been the Nets’ leading scorer this season, averaging 28.5 points per game on 44.4% shooting from the field.
And while Irving is averaging a career-high 7.2 assists, he remains one of the top isolation scorers in the game. According to NBA.com, Irving is averaging 3.5 points in isolation on 3.5 field goal attempts. Spencer Dinwiddie is the Nets’ best scorer after Irving, but he’s not shooting a quality percentage from the field at 41.4%.
Jarrett Allen (right ankle sprain) is probable for the #Nets tomorrow, while Kyrie Irving (right shoulder impingement) has been out vs the #kings
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) November 21, 2019
At 6-8 through 14 games, the Nets have had a slow start to the season. They’re ranked 18th in field goal percentage (44.7) and 22nd in 3-point field goal percentage (34.0).
Overall, it’s going to take time for the Nets and Irving to jell, as the offense is slightly different compared to when Russell was at the helm.
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