As if the Indiana Pacers need more handicaps, Wednesday’s contest at home against the Brooklyn Nets will only be harder from here on out. Not only is the Blue and Gold on the tail end of a back-to-back after losing to the New York Knicks, but they will be christened with the debut of seven-time All-Star Kyrie Irving this season.
Irving’s return marks the first time that the Nets’ dreaded Big Three will step on the court together since the opening minute of Game One of last season’s Eastern Conference Semifinals series between Brooklyn and eventual champions Milwaukee Bucks.
With the Pacers currently trotting out a depleted lineup with most of their rotation players shelved due to health and safety protocols, especially in the backcourt, trying to carve out a win against the second-seeded Nets could quickly end up being an ugly try.
The Indiana Pacers may end up ruining themselves instead of the show with Kyrie Irving set to fortify Brooklyn’s already-deadly attack
It’s easy to get caught up in Brooklyn’s sheer star power—from mega stars Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Irving to elite role players and former All-Stars in LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills, and Blake Griffin—the Nets have more than enough ammo to absorb absences and injuries, perhaps more than any other team in the league.
On a bird’s eye view, the Indiana Pacers’ porous backcourt defense lately could end up being a cursory entry on the highlight reel tonight, with Irving’s brilliance as a shot creator spelling doom for Indy’s current makeshift guard rotation of Keifer Sykes, Duane Washington Jr., and Lance Stephenson.
Some help may arrive in the form of Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb after both have been cleared from protocols, but both players have not had the time to ramp up reconditioning yet. Trust their ramp-up to game speed at your own peril.
If only for the Pacers’ seeming penchant to play spoilers and win some completely unfavorable matchups this season, I’m not counting a Nets win just yet—if you consider the remainder of 95 percent as a glimmering silver lining.
Luckily, if Indiana loses yet again, fans can instead breathe a sigh of relief—as the team inches closer to the realm of cellar dwellers, the golden lottery odds become more sterling for the stale franchise.
But please, I have one request: Don’t let anyone from the Indiana Pacers roster be on the receiving end of an ankle-breaker, Mr. Kyrie Irving.