Two of the best NBA guards are set for their much-awaited returns which will give their respective teams a huge boost to their NBA 2021 odds for a championship.
In a time where injuries and COVID-19 continue to barrel through NBA rosters at an alarming rate, seeing the return of Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson is going to be a sight for sore eyes for both the Nets and the Warriors, although it’ll be under different arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are still facing a huge dilemma due to their wantaway stars as they continue to languish in the Eastern Conference.
Without further ado, read on below as SBOTOP keeps you up-to-date with the latest NBA 2021 news.
Nets amenable to Kyrie Irving playing part-time
Kyrie Irving has yet to play a single game this season since the Nets he was sidelined indefinitely following his unwillingness to get jabbed.
New York has a local mandate that players who’ll play in the city have to be vaccinated, which meant that Irving was only eligible to play in 41 road games.
Such arrangement wasn’t ideal for the Nets since it will compromise their continuity, but now it seems that they’re softening their stance due the unfolding circumstances of their lineup.
As of this writing, seven players are out because of injuries or COVID-19 including star guard James Harden – leaving Kevin Durant to play an obscene amount of minutes much for the team’s benefit, though, since they’ve stayed on top of the East with a 21-8 record.
It can be noted that Kevin Durant had an Achilles injury two years ago, so maintaining this trend might jeopardise his long-term health.
To Irving’s credit, he reportedly remains in game shape despite missing a ton of games, although his return isn’t expected to happen right away. He must have a negative COVID-19 test on five successive days before he can rejoin the team.
He’ll only be allowed to play in the Nets’ remaining away matches as of now. Brooklyn’s next away game is at Portland on December 23, followed by a Christmas matchup vs. the Lakers and another Staples Center contest vs. the Clippers.
Irving’s presence would surely alleviate Durant’s load, especially if the Nets decide to rest latter in certain stretches.
Klay Thompson eyeing for a January 2022 return
Klay Thompson was originally planned to play again around Christmas but his return date has been moved to early January instead. According to a report by ESPN, Golden State are targeting either January 9 vs. the Cavaliers or January 18 against the Pistons.
The sweet shooting guard is returning from a torn ACL he sustained in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals and a ruptured Achilles during a rehab workout in November 2020.
He is ramping up his conditioning by playing in the Warriors’ G League affiliate at Santa Cruz where he’s already played in three scrimmages.
Like most teams, the Warriors have been affected by COVID-19 as Thompson’s replacement in Jordan Poole was placed under the league’s health and safety protocols following a positive test.
Golden State would prefer to have a fully fit Klay Thompson rejoin his Splash Brother Steph Curry right away – who is fresh from a historic night at MSG – since it’ll make them a scarier team to deal with moving forward.
Domantas Sabonis reportedly wants out of Indiana
The idea of trading Domantas Sabonis has been floating around in recent weeks, but now it seems that the Lithuanian wants to make it happen sooner than later.
This is according to a recent report from the Action Network, stating that Sabonis is seeking a “change of scenery” after spending his last four seasons with the Pacers.
Sabonis emerged as a star for Indiana after being traded from Oklahoma City as part of the Victor Oladipo-Paul George exchange back in 2017, evidenced by his two All-Star selections in back-to-back seasons.
Despite him producing at an elite rate and meshing well alongside Myles Turner, Caris LeVert, and Malcolm Brogdon, the Pacers are getting caught in the middle since they’re too good to land a top lottery pick but not good enough to make a deep playoff run.
Should Sabonis get traded, the Pacers can expect a large haul possibly consisting of several first-round picks that can help jumpstart their rebuild. Indiana has enough time to search for viable trade packages since the trade deadline isn’t until February 10, 2022. They can realistically salvage their campaign by making a run at a play-in spot, though, but perhaps it’s just delaying the inevitable.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE BASKETBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
