2017-2018 Boston Celtics: No Irving! No Hayward! No Brooklyn Pick!

[jon connor]

Ehhh as a Kobe hater (who still respects his abilities) I'm not gonna lie I don't really like all the talk about Kyrie using Kobe as an example. Kobe screwed the Lakers out of winning more championships with Shaq because he didn't know his place and wanted to be the man. That 2004 finals series in particular was ridiculous.

As long as "Mamba Mentality" means be aggressive scoring the basketball and don't care what the outside world thinks, then I'm all for it. If Mamba mentality means undermining the best player in the league who just brought an impossible championship to Cleveland, there's gonna be some problems.

Kyrie will inevitably take over the reigns AT SOME POINT but he needs to let it happen organically. That was where Kobe went wrong. He quite obviously chose "being the man" over winning championships.

Keep getting better and keep being aggressive, just don't forget what's really important.

 

[Lee]

I deleted some posts that were focused far more on other players/teams/issues than on Kyrie.

I think debates about Kyrie vs. some other player(s) are fine in this thread, although I encourage posters to consider starting new devoted threads on those topics.

How about a debate for some moderators vs other moderators. I am not sure Ben would have deleted so many posts, while PIP would have closed the thread.

 

[gourimoko]

Ehhh as a Kobe hater (who still respects his abilities) I'm not gonna lie I don't really like all the talk about Kyrie using Kobe as an example. Kobe screwed the Lakers out of winning more championships with Shaq because he didn't know his place and wanted to be the man. That 2004 finals series in particular was ridiculous.

As long as "Mamba Mentality" means be aggressive scoring the basketball and don't care what the outside world thinks, then I'm all for it. If Mamba mentality means undermining the best player in the league who just brought an impossible championship to Cleveland, there's gonna be some problems.

Kyrie will inevitably take over the reigns AT SOME POINT but he needs to let it happen organically. That was where Kobe went wrong. He quite obviously chose "being the man" over winning championships.

Keep getting better and keep being aggressive, just don't forget what's really important.

I think Kyrie has the potential to surpass Kobe Bryant in quite a few ways, including scoring (with efficiency), and being more of a synergistic compliment to his teammates.

 

[czvo]

Don't understand the comparison at all. It would work if Kyrie were the hometown kid, but he's not. LeBron IS Cleveland at this point. He IS the Cavs. Plus, LeBron will likely be willing to take a backseat on the court as he gets older.

 

[mAo_mAo]

With the way the team plays without Lebron, I do not think Kyrie will have any gravitas to undermine Lebron ang obtain enough support from the higher ups to force Lebron out.

 

[gourimoko]

With the way the team plays without Lebron, I do not think Kyrie will have any gravitas to undermine Lebron ang obtain enough support from the higher ups to force Lebron out.

 

[Rick Astley]

Kyrie is such a polarizing player.. Not a great playmaker but not tall enough to be an off guard.. He's a great offensive talent and the cavs have played to his strength (rightfully so)..

This. This is the reason why fans and critics are reluctant to put him in their "best" or ATG lists. But I hope and certainly counting on it that he'll be top 5/10/15/69 all time because he razed to the ground so much teams when it counts and put Hollywoodesque performances down through the wire like shooting game winners at so-called best player in the world in their faces.

 

[dark2332]

LeBron-Kyrie Partnership Has All the Potential, and Risks, of Shaq-Kobe Alliance


Link to the rest of the article: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2670122-lebron-kyrie-partnership-has-all-the-potential-and-risks-of-shaq-kobe-alliance?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national

I wish Kyrie would make a Kobe-like commitment to defense regularly.

 

[dark2332]

I think Kyrie has the potential to surpass Kobe Bryant in quite a few ways, including scoring (with efficiency), and being more of a synergistic compliment to his teammates.

With the way the team plays without Lebron, I do not think Kyrie will have any gravitas to undermine Lebron ang obtain enough support from the higher ups to force Lebron out.

Shaq was different. There was a battle between he and Kobe regarding the best player on the team, and Shaq needed guards to get him the ball in the post. Kobe had an effect on this as one of the two primary ball-handlers.

In this case, when LeBron wants the ball, he brings up the ball, and he scores the ball. They will not suffer a negative fate, nor do I think either wants to. Alternately, LeBron is the best player in the league. Shaq wasn't.

 

[Ohio]

Alternately, LeBron is the best player in the league. Shaq wasn't.

Huh? Who was, then?

 

[dark2332]

Huh? Who was, then?

Correction, he may have been or up there, but there were a few guys who could make that claim that were close. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, T-Mac. And at the time of the divorce, Kobe may have been the best player in the game.

Now? I feel like LeBron's reputation is ridiculous and there isn't anyone even close. This Curry bullshit is false drama. And Kyrie? He's a good player, and I like him, but he's not going to be the best player in the league. At least not anytime soon. There's a big difference between being top 5-10, and the best player on the planet.

At the time Shaq left the Lakers, a few years before, it was Kobe's team. That will never happen with LeBron, unless he's 38 and grants permission for it.

 

[Andrew]

Uh, Shaq WAS the League for close to 8 years. No one stood a chance.


Just my random act of Shaqness...

 

[Ohio]

Correction, he may have been or up there, but there were a few guys who could make that claim that were close. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, T-Mac.

Close, sure, but Shaq during his prime was better than all those players.

And at the time of the divorce, Kobe may have been the best player in the game.

Probably.

At the time Shaq left the Lakers, a few years before, it was Kobe's team.

Their last two years together it was Kobe's team. But when they were winning Championships Shaq was easily the best player on that team.

That will never happen with LeBron, unless he's 38 and grants permission for it.

It's not unrealistic at all to see a point in the future where Kyrie is better than LeBron. LeBron himself says Kyrie has MVP potential. We just saw him put up an NBA Finals MVP type performance. So, if anything, it is to be expected as long as LeBron plays another 5 years or so.

 

[dark2332]

Close, sure, but Shaq during his prime was better than all those players.


Probably.


Their last two years together it was Kobe's team. But when they were winning Championships Shaq was easily the best player on that team.


It's not unrealistic at all to see a point in the future where Kyrie is better than LeBron. LeBron himself says Kyrie has MVP potential. We just saw him put up an NBA Finals MVP type performance. So, if anything, it is to be expected as long as LeBron plays another 5 years or so.

There's actually a point in the near future that Kyrie might be leading us in scoring, as soon as next season.

However, I just think that we will never see a LeBron/Kyrie tussle for team control like Shaq/Kobe. Completely different scenario. Don't get me wrong, they all have egos, but LeBron constantly talks about seeing big things in the kid, can be an MVP one day. And he may very well develop into the best in the league in 4-5 years.

The difference is Shaq and Kobe had jealousy and resentment. I think LeBron will transition more into the post around 36-38, and let Kyrie be the primary ballhandler for real. It will be peaceful and graceful. And LeBron's reputation will remain intact. No "challenging" each other negatively going on.

 

[Lee]

Close, sure, but Shaq during his prime was better than all those players.

You can make an argument for Duncan in his prime was better than Shaq in his prime and their prime was during Shaq's laker years.

Duncan averaged more rebounds, more blocks, was a better defender and had a more diverse (although less dominant) offensive game.

The others mentioned were not really that close to Shaq, although I am a huge Allen Iverson fan.