Kyrie Irving

[MoFlo]

Kyrie Irving is a R O O K I E.

I don't know how many rookies come in and play exceptional defense. Christ even with all his gifts it took LeBron what 3 to 4 years to become a lockdown guy (when he wanted to be anway). Not too mention we are talking about a kid that played 11 college games and probably is going to continue to hit walls as this season progresses.

This kid has all the tools to be something special. Most importantly he wants to the ball in crunch time and he's not afraid to take the shot-- a shot which it appears he can and will make. And he has a strong work ethic along with a high basketball IQ.

As for his assist to turnovers, it's not great, but my god how often are we seeing our guys fumble passes, pass up on a shot to pass again or just botch shots. As we get better talent it's going to work itself out.

If we are into next season and he's slacking on defense and turning the ball over too much I will have some concern but come on.

I agree with all this, but I still do think it's better than Byron get on him now about it rather than let it go, so Kyrie doesn't develop any bad habits out there.

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

Is It just me or does Jamison have something against Kyrie? a few times I watched games It Is like he avoids passing to him... On two situations I saw In the first game VS the Hea Kyrie wave for the ball and Jamison just looked at him and then passed It to weak sauce?? One time where they Ignored Kyrie he some how got the ball due to a broken pass and then some Cavs player (forgot who) got It and passed It to him he then scored It for two? For these reasons I think Jamison Is trying to ticket his way out of Town.

No. Jamison has nothing against Kyrie. He just simply passes the ball to no one. When Jamison gets the rock in his hands, it's going to get chucked.

 

[Huber.]

No. Jamison has nothing against Kyrie. He just simply passes the ball to no one. When Jamison gets the rock in his hands, it's going to get chucked.

Jamison is the Kobe Bryant on this team. Only he bricks his shots.

 

[CPK]

I agree with all this, but I still do think it's better than Byron get on him now about it rather than let it go, so Kyrie doesn't develop any bad habits out there.

Absolutely agree. He's the coach and he needs to push his players.

 

[Jon]

Honestly, how many points are better than Kyrie in the league today?

1 CP3
2 Rose
3 DWill
4 Westbrook
5 Kyrie Irving???

Kyrie's shooting efficiency is out of this world for a rookie PG, but a rich man's Daniel Gibson isn't one of the best PGs in the league. He needs to keep improving his actual PG skills (running plays, setting up others, delivering the ball where guys can catch it, etc, etc) to get up in the top echelon.

 

[Shakalu M.D.]

Another thing all time greats have in common is scoring the ball.. You can say that basically about anything they do. :chuckles:

Yeah, but there are plenty of guys who can score the rock who don't get lumped into the all time great category because they don't defend. You're not going to see Carmelo there anytime soon. I'm not saying Kyrie is going to make it to that level, but it's clear that he wants to. In order to do that he's going to have to defend and I think he knows it.

 

[CardiacCavs]

Didn't see this posted yet:http://www.nba.com/2012/news/features/shaun_powell/01/24/cavs-kyrie-irving/index.html

Irving giving Cleveland every reason to fall in love again


Posted Jan 24 2012 10:37AM

There are strong indications that Kyrie Irving will not be the next LeBron James, not even close, and you know how a city starving for a star feels about that? Relieved.

For starters, the Cavaliers haven't tossed Irving the keys to the franchise. He doesn't own the choice parking spot, or get VIP treatment for his pals, or have team employees scampering to run errands for him. Irving is treated like a rookie and not a savior, even though he might qualify as one. Big difference.

And another: His coach isn't pacifying him or empowering him. Byron Scott is coaching him. Imagine that. Just the other day, after the Cavs lost two games by a combined 66 points, Scott made a point of singling out Irving, in a way that LeBron was never called out in Cleveland.

"Our defense has to get better," Scott said, "and the defense starts with him."

So this relationship between the No. 1 overall pick and a desperate franchise has begun quite refreshingly and, dare we say, appropriately. It's all designed to create a star that Cleveland can respect, fall in love with and trust with its emotional investment. And while it's early in the process, it's safe for a heartbroken basketball city to embrace a player who's making it very hard to resist.

Irving seems humble and grounded, coachable and manageable. And immensely talented. Can't forget that. For someone who only played 11 games at Duke, and didn't put in a full summer of work because of rehab, and was deprived of a normal NBA training camp, his transition has been just shy of remarkable. With a killer dribble and a pull-up jumper that's textbook and poise you don't see from 19 year olds, Irving leads all rookies with numbers (17.4 points, nearly five assists) that would be greater if his minutes weren't being rationed. He's also playing the toughest position on the floor to master and doing it for a team that lost 63 games last year. Something special is developing in Cleveland, eight years after LeBron arrived and was immediately placed on a throne.

With the Cavaliers ready to visit Miami and LeBron tonight (7:30 p.m., NBA TV), the disastrous season they just endured, caused entirely by LeBron's departure the previous summer, was probably worth it. That's because nobody in Cleveland still cringes over losing 26 straight or Video getting spanked by LeBron in "The Return." A deadline-day deal last season that brought Baron Davis to Cleveland from the L.A. Clippers came with the Clips' first-round Draft pick in 2011, which became Irving. The now is about Irving and what he brings and what he could become very soon. To quote Nick Gilbert, son of Dan the owner: "What's not to like?"
irving-scott-inline.jpg
Cavs head coach Byron Scott (left) has learned early on that Kyrie Irving is a coachable young player.
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

Irving won't allow himself to get caught up in any LeBronslaught. And he makes no apologies for having a friendly relationship with LeBron, which started years ago when Irving appeared at LeBron's invitation camp for high school players. But that's where the comparison ends. Irving was raised by a father who played professionally overseas. He also spent a year on a college campus even though a toe injury made it seem like a cameo. That was enough, anyway, for NBA scouts, who studied him since he was 15. They were sold on his quickness and old school-meets-new school style of play.

"I'm living my dream and appreciating it," Irving said. "I'm just a rookie trying to come in and do well."

He knows the uproar about "The Decision" and the aftermath and how ugly it played out it Cleveland. In that sense, Irving couldn't have landed in a better place. The expectations in Cleveland are low, fans seem patient and Irving can be gradually groomed into being the face of the franchise, if he isn't already.

And Scott isn't rushing anything; he's actually making Irving earn minutes, keeping the rookie to 28 a game "until he starts playing better defense. Then he'll get more minutes."

You know what Irving said? "I appreciate him getting on me like that because I've got to get better defensively. I take full responsibility for it."

Definitely not diva-like.

He's 15 games into his rookie season, four more than he played in college, and already looks and acts beyond his years, defense aside. Whether his true position is point guard or shooting guard will be determined by his ability to develop more into a distributor. Regardless, it appears the Cavs found a potential star in a draft where they couldn't afford to make a mistake.

In two years, most of his current teammates will be gone. Assuming they add another solid piece next summer in what will be a deep draft (where the Cavs could have two picks in this one because they have the option to swap 2012 first-round picks with the Heat) and manage their salary cap, the Cavs can turn themselves around fairly quickly, all things considered.

Tonight for the first time, Irving will compete against the player who famously walked out on Cleveland, a city that's starting to channel its emotion on the player who just walked in.

 

[tedginnjr]

Irving is able to distribute and is able to attack, but doesn't seem to have figured out how to do both seamlessly in the same game.

 

[3 Da Hard Way]

He came out strong in the 2nd half with a quick 5 points and a few assists. Then Jamison went on like a 6 jumpers in a row streak missing 5 of them. Never really got going after that. Solid game even struggling from the floor though

 

[wuck]

From the PD before today's game:

BScott said he would like to eventually get Kyrie up to 30-33 minutes. He's at 27.7 minutes now.

 

[Tornicade]

Irving already has the 3rd most minutes on the team behind av and aj

 

[SanduskyCav]

Irving is able to distribute and is able to attack, but doesn't seem to have figured out how to do both seamlessly in the same game.

He's 19 years old and has played 17 NBA games.

 

[The Process God]

He's 19 years old and has played 17 NBA games.

And I hate the Irving comparisons to Ricky Rubio. The guy is not only two years older and has way more professional experience, but he also has better teammates to work with AND Rubio is getting 5 more minutes per game than Irving. There's several factors working against Irving that make him seem like less of a distributor than Rubio. Kyrie may not be as good of a passer as Rubio, but I'll bet that, given the same circumstances, he'll come damn close. Give him two more years of experience, making him just as old as Rubio is right now, and put him on that same TWolves team in the same circumstances (32.6 mpg, etc.), Irving would probably easily average 8.5 assists like Rubio is currently doing, and he'd probably average 5-15 more points than Rubio as well.

Speaking of scoring, we can clearly see that Rubio's numbers are coming back down to earth, revealing that he's not quite the scorer he looked like earlier in the season especially in efficiency. 45% 3p was just not sustainable for the guy, and I highly doubt he ever reaches 40% or perhaps even 35%.

Irving needs to get his conditioning up so he actually gives a shit about stealing the ball. He's way too good of a player to not be getting at least 1.5 steals per game. I want to eventually see him getting 2 spg and at least .5 bpg with some chase-down blocks included. Once he improves his conditioning and puts some meat on him, he can abuse guards, causing turnovers from ball pressure.

I'm excited to see what Kyrie will look like at the start of next season. I wouldn't be shocked if he averaged 20ppg/8apg/5rpb for the season on 50% fg, 40% 3p, and 90% ft.

 

[chrisrich91]

Kyrie's shooting efficiency is out of this world for a rookie PG, but a rich man's Daniel Gibson isn't one of the best PGs in the league. He needs to keep improving his actual PG skills (running plays, setting up others, delivering the ball where guys can catch it, etc, etc) to get up in the top echelon.

While Kyrie has focused on scoring thus far in his short NBA career, he is already setting up teammates, penetrating into the lane, handling the ball, and running the offense better than Gibson ever has/ever will. Add to it that he's a better shooter and can create his own shot...calling Kyrie a rich Gibson is like calling Dwight Howard a rich Ryan Hollins. They are so far apart that you can't compare them that way.

 

[Tornicade]

And I hate the Irving comparisons to Ricky Rubio. The guy is not only two years older and has way more professional experience, but he also has better teammates to work with AND Rubio is getting 5 more minutes per game than Irving. There's several factors working against Irving that make him seem like less of a distributor than Rubio. Kyrie may not be as good of a passer as Rubio, but I'll bet that, given the same circumstances, he'll come damn close. Give him two more years of experience, making him just as old as Rubio is right now, and put him on that same TWolves team in the same circumstances (32.6 mpg, etc.), Irving would probably easily average 8.5 assists like Rubio is currently doing, and he'd probably average 5-15 more points than Rubio as well.

Speaking of scoring, we can clearly see that Rubio's numbers are coming back down to earth, revealing that he's not quite the scorer he looked like earlier in the season especially in efficiency. 45% 3p was just not sustainable for the guy, and I highly doubt he ever reaches 40% or perhaps even 35%.

Irving needs to get his conditioning up so he actually gives a shit about stealing the ball. He's way too good of a player to not be getting at least 1.5 steals per game. I want to eventually see him getting 2 spg and at least .5 bpg with some chase-down blocks included. Once he improves his conditioning and puts some meat on him, he can abuse guards, causing turnovers from ball pressure.

I'm excited to see what Kyrie will look like at the start of next season. I wouldn't be shocked if he averaged 20ppg/8apg/5rpb for the season on 50% fg, 40% 3p, and 90% ft.

I guarantee that rubio would be doing the exact same things. playing at the same level with the cavs. Irvings overall game is statistically superior to rubios. propping his teammates over irvings isnt necessary nor true.

its just a cop out. it doesnt matter who you surround irving or rubio with. Rubio is a superb passer.

Cavs have more assist than the t wolves. they pass the ball more as a team.
Minnesota doesnt shoot much better than the cavs