Harden did have a triple double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, but his adaptation to the NBA’s revised foul protocol clearly is not all done. A career 25.1-point per game scorer, is now at 17.7 through nine games.

Kevin Durant going for 29 points and 10 boards helped against the Pistons… as did playing the Pistons, who are now 1-8.

There’s still time for Irving to figure out that vaccines save lives and that the mandates are a public health issue, not a workers’ rights issue. Unfortunately, that would also require Irving admitting to being wrong.

But the Nets really are going to have to figure out what to do: wait for Irving and hope that what they have is enough, even if he never comes back, or try to trade the AWOL superstar, knowing that there’s no way they’ll get equal value, but they could get the last piece of a championship puzzle. That’s probably a question that Durant and Harden have to help answer, weighing their personal relationships against their competitive drive.

There’s plenty of selfishness in any decision not to get vaccinated, but this is a clear example of where Irving’s stubbornness makes things more complicated for others in his life. Good for the mayor-elect not letting him off the hook for that just because he’s famous.