Kyrie Irving is wearing his third uniform in four seasons. If his first three games in Brooklyn are any indication, the Nets may believe they have the best edition of the All-NBA point guard.
Through the first three games of the 2019-20 season, Irving has scored 113 total points. That mark bests James Harden’s feat of 106 points in his first three games with Houston in 2012, setting a new record for most points with a new team in that same span. Irving also joins Vince Carter and Stephon Marbury as the only Nets to score 25 points or better in each of the first three games to start a season.
Irving’s 37.7 points per game rank second behind only Atlanta’s Trae Young in the early season. The former Cleveland Cavalier and Boston Celtic is shooting 41.2 percent on more than 11 attempts per game from 3-point range. With fellow offseason Nets signee Kevin Durant out with a torn Achilles, Irving finds himself as the No. 1 option on a Brooklyn team hoping to take the next step after finishing sixth in the East last season.
Perhaps just as impressive is Irving’s efficiency despite the heavy load he already shoulders. The six-time All-Star has committed just six turnovers in 104 total minutes while shooting 27-for-29 from the free throw line.
Irving started the Nets chapter of his career with a bang, dropping 50 points in the season opener against Minnesota. The Nets, however, have found themselves on the losing end of two overtime games already, including Sunday’s 134-133 setback to the Memphis Grizzlies.
