Good news for Patty Mills
KYRIE Irving’s Covid-19 vaccine status could open the door for Aussie star Patty Mills to take centre stage in his first season at the Brooklyn Nets.
Mills lined up for the Nets for the first time in their preseason clash with reigning champions the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday (AEDT).
Late last month, coach Steve Nash said Mills had already had an “incredible” influence on the Nets’ culture and clearly he was keen to reward the Boomers captain with game time — Mills played 19 minutes of the Nets’ four-point win at Barclays Center, scoring 10 points to go with three assists and two rebounds.
Going forward, Mills could become the beneficiary of New York State’s strict vaccination policy — in New York, professional athletes must have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to train and play at indoor venues.
This means if Irving remains unvaccinated, he will miss all of the Nets’ 41 regular season home games, as well as two clashes against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Nets remain unclear about whether Irving plans to become vaccinated in future and the 29-year-old Australian-born guard has given little away in recent media appearances.
Brooklyn is also yet to reveal whether Irving will be kept on as a part-time player for the whole season should he refuse to roll up his sleeve. The Nets are at no risk of having to pay Irving for games missed should they choose to keep him on the books — Irving will forfeit an estimated $520,000 AUD ($380,000 USD) for each game he sits out.
The uncertainty around Irving’s playing status could bode well for Mills, as well as for other recently recruited players, who could find themselves playing extra minutes if Irving chooses to remain unvaccinated.