Re: Dion Waiters
Or Kyrie is starting to get beaten down by the constant losing since he's come here.
Assuming that is the case (which is itself a stretch), you could respond to losing by working on your body and your game, trying to get better, or you could respond by sulking and doing neither. Are you admitting that Kyrie
isn't working as hard as, say, Dion and TT, but justifying it by saying he's been "beaten down"? Or are you saying that he really is working as hard on his game and body as he should be? If it's the latter, that's fine, but then all this losing stuff has zero to do with the debate.
Here's the reality, as much as some folks plug their ears whenever anything unpleasant is said about a favorite player. Multiple sources have stated/clearly implied that Kyrie is not as hard a worker as he should be. It is obvious to anyone watching games last season that Kyrie's conditioning was not good. And looking at his body, it appears that he has not improved muscle mass or body fat% since entering the league. Moveover, he was specifically called out by the GM as needing to improve in those areas. Those aren't things posters here are just pulling out of thin air.
This is
particularly important this year because we're all expecting Brown to push them all much harder on defense, which means expending energy on both ends of the floor instead of just one. If KI was wearing down last year while only playing on one end, is he going to be ready for those additional physical demands this year?
Now, Zeller was also called out as needing to get stronger, and it is unknown whether or not he's taken that to heart. But, at least we aren't being bombarded with videos/instagrams/interviews whatever, with Zeller talking about all the things going on in his life without a mention of trying to get stronger. If we were, I'm sure people would be questioning him as well.
No. Him being hurt has absolutely nothing to do with how hard he works. He's gotten a broken finger, and an injured shoulder, so he must be a lazy fatass!!
Forget the injuries. Just consider the lack of conditioning and muscle tone that you presumably saw with your own eyes last season.
You don't have the skill that he has without working, he's one of the most skilled PG's in the league. Westbrook and healthy Rose are still probably better than him, but I would say he's more skilled than both of them.
I've said this elsewhere, but there is quite the mental difference between practicing presumably enjoyable basketball skills, and lifting weights, running gassers, doing conditioning drills, etc.. Anyone whose ever been involved in sports at any level knows that.
