kyrie irving
Kyle Terada | USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie Irving will make his debut this week vs. the Indiana Pacers.

The Brooklyn Nets are back to full-strength — in a way. Kyrie Irving is back with the team as a part-time player and he’s set to make his season debut in Indiana on Wednesday.

Obviously, Irving can only play in road games this season due to his vaccination status and New York City’s mandate. Initially, the Nets told Irving to stay away from the team, but they have backed off that stance.

For the time being, Irving will only be available for a handful of games. They have two road contests over their next seven games, but the Nets are going to turn into road warriors after that. They will be on the road 18 times between Jan. 17 and March 15.

Irving is going to have a chance to make an impact during that stretch. In fact, it could go a long way towards preparing the Nets for a playoff series with a part-time player.

Barring injuries in the lead-up, Wednesday’s game will be the first time we see the fully-formed Nets this season. James Harden is starting to pick up his play since returning of the COVID list and Kevin Durant has been playing at an MVP level all year long.

Irving should be able to seamlessly slide into the lineup alongside his superstar buddies.

NY/NJ hoops reporter (NBA/NCAA) & sports betting writer for XL Media. Never had the makings of a varsity athlete.