Kyrie Irving

[BimboColesHair]

Okay forget about the 7+ assist, but he should definitely shoot more efficiently from the field. LeBron and Wade used to play a game of who can shoot 50% or above from the field the longest in every games and hopefully LeBron will challenge Kyrie and Love to do the same.

There is a big difference between a PG and SG shooting 50% from the floor, as a PG usually shoots more jumpers than a 2, especially when you are trying to say he should do something one of the best slashing off ball guards in history did.

This is what I was worried about when the LeBron followers flocked back, that they would come in and try to say how Kyrie, Dion, Tristan, just any of the young guys who have been here post-LeBron should play. All Kyrie needs to do is revert back to his rookie and sophomore year shooting numbers while playing better defense. Expecting a PG to shoot 50% from the floor is absurd, especially one that takes as many 3s as Kyrie. Probably the only PG in the last decade to shoot 50% from the floor while taking a lot of 3s is prime, MVP Steve Nash...quite a bit to ask of a 4th year PG still developing and playing with practically a brand new roster for a brand new coaching staff.

Have a feeling we'll start to hear some new posters mention Westbrook/Durant in terms of Kyrie shooting too much in the coming weeks...can't wait.

 

[Bandwagoner305]

There is a big difference between a PG and SG shooting 50% from the floor, as a PG usually shoots more jumpers than a 2, especially when you are trying to say he should do something one of the best slashing off ball guards in history did.

This is what I was worried about when the LeBron followers flocked back, that they would come in and try to say how Kyrie, Dion, Tristan, just any of the young guys who have been here post-LeBron should play. All Kyrie needs to do is revert back to his rookie and sophomore year shooting numbers while playing better defense. Expecting a PG to shoot 50% from the floor is absurd, especially one that takes as many 3s as Kyrie. Probably the only PG in the last decade to shoot 50% from the floor while taking a lot of 3s is prime, MVP Steve Nash...quite a bit to ask of a 4th year PG still developing and playing with practically a brand new roster for a brand new coaching staff.

Have a feeling we'll start to hear some new posters mention Westbrook/Durant in terms of Kyrie shooting too much in the coming weeks...can't wait.

I don't expect him to shoot 50% from the field, but he's capable of shooting 48% from the field. Chris Paul has shot 50% from the field before, but we know CP3 picks his spots and doesn't take as many shots as Kyrie does. Kyrie and Parker are very similar in terms of being natural scoring PG's. Kyrie is a better 3pt-shooter and Parker is a more skilled finisher around the rim. Parker didn't even shot 47% from the field in his first three seasons in the league, but by his fourth season, he shot 48% from the field and he has shot 50% and above from the field since then. Kyrie is talented enough to do that, he just needs to play smarter and pick his spots better. Once he understands that every play doesn't have to be an highlight reel play, then he'll be able to shoot better from the field.

 

[BimboColesHair]

I don't expect him to shoot 50% from the field, but he's capable of shooting 48% from the field. Chris Paul has shot 50% from the field before, but we know CP3 picks his spots and doesn't take as many shots as Kyrie does. Kyrie and Parker are very similar in terms of being natural scoring PG's. Kyrie is a better 3pt-shooter and Parker is a more skilled finisher around the rim. Parker didn't even shot 47% from the field in his first three seasons in the league, but by his fourth season, he shot 48% from the field and he has shot 50% and above from the field since then. Kyrie is talented enough to do that, he just needs to play smarter and pick his spots better. Once he understands that every play doesn't have to be an highlight reel play, then he'll be able to shoot better from the field.

Again, you are way off base with these player comparisons. Go look at how many 3s Chris Paul took the year he shot 50% from the floor. Then go notice that he has began to shoot more and more each season, and he has never hit 50% again. As for Tony Parker, guy has averaged 1 or less than 3 pointer attempted per game for 9 straight years. Of course he is going to shoot a higher % from the floor, because he doesn't shoot 3s. Expecting Kyrie to shoot 48% from the floor means you expect him to shoot like 45% from 3 with how many he takes. Like I said above, a good FG% for Kyrie is what he did his 1st 2 years, ~46%.

 

[KI4MVP]

why is anyone looking at FG% instead of eFG%? Also, why look at any numbers when the sample size is just 2 games?

 

[Pioneer10]

Why look at eFG% when you have TS%

 

[TyGuy]

Why look at eFG% when you have TS%

Well, TS adds freethrows to the equation. Guys that take a lot of freethrows and make them at a good clip I believe get a huge boost in TS( James Harden). efg should be good for guys who don't get to three freethrow line a lot, but take a lot of threes.

 

[Pioneer10]

Well, TS adds freethrows to the equation. Guys that take a lot of freethrows and make them at a good clip I believe get a huge boost in TS( James Harden). efg should be good for guys who don't get to three freethrow line a lot, but take a lot of threes.

Doesn't make a difference though 90% of the time: getting points regardless of where you get them, TS% is the best measure of efficiency. For example, a guy like Lebron (well at least last year's Lebron . I kid I kid) is awesome because he gets to the line and hits 3's. A guy like an older Nash or Kidd who can still shoot but no longer can get to the line is not going to be same caliber player in terms of efficiency.

Really it only a makes a difference if you want a very narrow discussion of who is the better shooter from the field but from a team perspective it's the overall efficiency that matters the vast majority of time.

 

[wremy]

Okay forget about the 7+ assist, but he should definitely shoot more efficiently from the field. LeBron and Wade used to play a game of who can shoot 50% or above from the field the longest in every games and hopefully LeBron will challenge Kyrie and Love to do the same.

 

[DatDudeZ3]

Kyrie has played well so far and you can tell he is growing as a player because he is starting to affect the game in different ways besides scoring. I've been really impressed with his defense, he's kept in front a couple quick guards and kept them right in the center of his chest when they tried to drive on him. He's also had active hands, stripping balls loose, tipping passes, etc. Of course he has a couple slip ups on defense here and there where his man gets by but I'm loving the defense and all around game from Kyrie so far. He will only get better as the season goes on and he gets comfortable with Blatt/LeBron/Love.

 

[Simmy]

Why look at eFG% when you have TS%

A little off topic, but all this talk of eFG%, TS% etc had me thinking of this hilariously accurate stand-up clip:

 

[Lee]

As good of passers that Lebron, dion and Love are, and as wide open as Kyrie is, i dont see any reason why Kyrie cant shoot 60% from 3.

 

[RedBlackAttack]

A little off topic, but all this talk of eFG%, TS% etc had me thinking of this hilariously accurate stand-up clip:

Color me surprised that other countries don't focus on sports statistics the way that we do. I guess it makes sense, since futbol is generally considered the most popular sport worldwide and there really aren't a ton of statistics to analyze, but what would basketball, baseball and football be without the statistics? It's all about probabilities and... well, math.

Hell, the most popular sport in our country literally takes place on a giant ruler.


Disagree with him on the economic analysis portion, though. If you want the statistical analysis, there's enough out there to blow your head to bits, scanner style.

I guess the comedic thing to do was to turn it around on us and make it a statement about our priorities... but I digress.


All of that being said, I still think Kyrie's efficiency goes up significantly by the end of this season. He has the most freedom he has had since his rookie year in terms of defensive gameplanning. The last two years, opponents were literally geared around stopping him and forcing him to his weak spots.

Now, that is second or third on their order of importance. When this offense gets clicking, he will be seeing the kind of openings and getting the kind of looks that he'll knock down with great frequency. I think it is inevitable. He'll be >40% from three this year, not a doubt in my mind. That alone will raise his overall FG% and his eFG% and TS%.

 

[JSS2306]

I literally cannot stand the way Kyrie approaches the game. He doesn't understand how to responsibly pick and choose his spots. There are times when it's time to run the offense and there are times to do his thing and get cute with the dribbles. He looks absolutely lost in terms of instinctively leading the offense.

He's repeating the same mistakes as last year. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because the entire team will need an adjustment period and he is only 22, but I expect more of him because he is one of our star players.

The days of cute dribbling into a bad possession for absolutely no reason should be over yet they still exist. Why is that?

 

[Just Checkin]

The tunnel vision is the worst aspect of his game. Watching him go around and dribble without creating any space, like at all, with 4 other guys just watching with their hands waiting for the ball was really hard to watch.

That game was the Kyrie hater's ultimate game.

 

[Bandwagoner305]

He's proving me right so far.