i dont think pointing out one thing means the other.
looking at stat sheets. Ignoring coaches, and hogging the ball was a culture Dion was drafted into.along with veteran leadership that consisted of a couple of 2nd year guys and a few journeymen.
Didn't notice TT or Delly checking stat sheets, ignoring coaches, or hogging the ball, and they had the same leadership and coaching as Dion. There was nobody compelling Dion to do any of that except
Dion.
Kyrie did some of that, but then, he was criticized for that as well. And the reality has always been that greater the talent, the longer the leash. To most everyone except Dion and a few supporters, Kyrie was clearly the more talented player. But Dion's inflated self-image demanded that he be treated as if he was better than he was, so he
visibly pouted and sulked on court if things weren't going his way. And again, in contrast, a guy like Delly played his heart out every possession without having to be treated like a diva.
But to the extent you want to blame part of Dion's (and Kyrie's) problem on a lack of veteran leadership and poor coaching, fine. So what happened when we added all a whole bunch of real veteran leadership, and a real coaching staff? Kyrie absolutely
thrived, playing the best all-around basketball of his career
despite no longer being the center of attention/first option on the team.
In contrast, despite LBJ and everyone else pulling for him, Dion didn't change one bit. He had the same issues with crappy body language, pouting, floor game falling apart if things weren't going his way on the offensive end, etc.. And it got to the point where even LBJ, who clearly tried to provided emotional support/leadership to the guy, started ignoring him.
So then when he finally gets traded in a move that clearly constituted addition by subtraction inhindsight (and maybe even foresight on the part of the Cavs), he validates all the criticism of him as a "me-first" player by saying the reason he played better (initially, at least) in OKC was that he "actually sees the ball" in OKC v. Cleveland. This despite the fact that stats at the time showed he actually got more touches in Cleveland. But again, to Dion the game of basketball seems to be all about maximizing his personal opportunities to score, not winning games.
Then the truth hit -- Dion only played better those few games in OKC because he happened to get on a hot streak that every high-volume shooter hits periodically. As soon as that returned to earth, the rest of his game regressed as well, just as it did in Cleveland.
Dion is one of those guys who is going to blame everyone else for his lack of success. Which is one of the big factors that explains his lack of success.
