Report: Kyrie Irving Hasn't Been an Issue off Court for Nets Despite Rumors

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving hasn't caused problems with his new team despite reports saying otherwise.

That's according to SNY.tv's Ian Begley, who wrote the following Friday:

"One person in touch with several Nets players told SNY on Friday that any suggestion that Irving's attitude or mood has negatively impacted Brooklyn is 'inaccurate.'"

The reporter also quoted the source as saying Irving's tenure "hasn't been an issue."

The Begley report comes after ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said that he was "not hearing good things" about Irving in Brooklyn:

ESPN's Jackie MacMullan also reported Oct. 29 that Irving's "infamous mood swings" were the "unspoken concern that makes Nets officials queasy." 

MacMullan had previously wrote in May on the topic when the point guard was with the Boston Celtics:

"Celtics players concede that earlier in the season Irving's mood swings often left them treading lightly in the locker room. Coach Brad Stevens and [general manager Danny] Ainge addressed it with their best player, and he promised to be more aware."

Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson called the MacMullan report on Irving with the Nets "completely false":

Nets center Jarrett Allen also backed Irving in a recent Bleacher Report AMA.

"He acts like a normal teammate," Allen wrote. "People say that he has mood swings, but that's a complete lie. He wants to see us succeed and do well if anything."

The 6-8 Nets will host the Sacramento Kings on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Brooklyn will play without Irving, who will miss his fourth straight game to recover from a shoulder injury.

Ultimately, Irving's play and any reported mood swings aren't the reason why the Nets are sitting two games under .500.

Injuries have hit the team hard: Outside Irving, the Nets have missed Caris LeVert for five games as he recovers from a torn right thumb ligament. He will be out until mid-December at the earliest, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Brooklyn is also without Kevin Durant as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors.

Those are huge blows for the Nets, especially considering Irving dropped 28.5 points, 7.2 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game before sitting. LeVert is the team's third-leading scorer with 16.8 points per night.

From a broader perspective, the Nets' team defense has been mediocre, ranking 18th in the NBA entering Friday. They've also struggled from three-point range, ranking 23rd.

Brooklyn has also been incredibly unlucky, losing a pair of one-point overtime games to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies. Irving saw his game-winning attempt rim out in the first, and Jae Crowder nailed a buzzer-beating three in the second. A 15-point road lead to the Utah Jazz also evaporated.

If the Nets win those three games, we're talking about a 9-5 team viewed far more favorably.

In sum, Brooklyn is struggling right now, but silver linings exist ahead when Irving and LeVert return from injury this year. And at least publicly, all seems to be well with Irving behind the scenes, setting the Nets up for success as they look to make the playoffs for the second straight year.