Kyrie Irving

[gourimoko]

Wait, now I'm Batman?

No, you aren't Batman.

You're more like DC's Apollo... Yeah I think that fits.. Wear your badge of honor with distinction.

 

[Man Called X]

Have you any proof he loves these things?

Well documented he's a 2k head, as for the weed and bitches? It's not exactly a secret.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Have you any proof he loves these things?

Who doesn't love those things???

 

[All4One1ForAll]

Who doesn't love those things???

Delly?

 

[Ohio]

Delly?

Why cant Delly love weed & pussy? Cuz he's white?

 

[Jon]

LeBron is not "far" more impactful than Kyrie. That's hyperbole and not at all surprising that the guy who once argued (extensively so) that Kyrie was a 'rich man's boobie gibson' would diminish him in that way. So, no, not a great post. It's a post that has a point that's worth exploring but exaggerated for effect.

I wish it was hyperbole, but we've all seen how this team played up until James took over playmaking. Subtract James, and the Cavs are struggling to play .500 ball. We knew Kyrie needed help with playmaking, that was the idea behind teaming him with Dion and trading for Jack, but none of that worked! But James could walk in on "Kyrie's team" and rip the ball from his hands and say, I got this ... because he's LeBron.

Combining Love with Irving sounds good on paper except the part that Irving still hasn't learned how to post-up a big man, and he still prefers to try to finish in a crowd or pass to a big near the hoop rather than kick the ball behind him to a spot up shooter.

btw, I've never argued that Kyrie was a "rich man's Boobie" extensively or even once. I have spent quite a bit of team clarifying what I did say, but some people continue to refuse to listen. Go figure.

Something I recognized then, and I recognize now, is that Kyrie has a long way to go to learn how to run a team ... to make the guys around him better. Not only does LeBron address that for him, he drops him down to second option on offense which means less pressure and more space for Irving to dance his way to the rim. Something he struggled to do when defenses could focus on stopping him.

 

[gourimoko]

Not only does LeBron address that for him, he drops him down to second option on offense which means less pressure and more space for Irving to dance his way to the rim.

Kyrie can't be considered a second option unless you consider Tony Parker, Klay Thompson, Al Horford, or other guys who are within 5% of their teammates with respect to FGA as second options.

I don't think "second option" describes any of those players.

Not every team has a "second option." Spurs, Hawks, Cavs, Warriors don't.

If you look at teams like the Rockets, Thunder, etc; there is a clear cut "second option."

For example, who is the second option between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook when both are healthy?

Simply put, there isn't one. They share the responsibility of scoring at will.

 

[All4One1ForAll]

Why cant Delly love weed & pussy? Cuz he's white?

I mean I have no problem believing that Mike Miller likes all that and he's white. It's just that Delly is so...Delly. If a picture were released of Delly smoking a blunt while getting a lap dance at the strip club I just might die. I mean we're talking about this guy lol:

 

[Jon]

Kyrie can't be considered a second option unless you consider Tony Parker, Klay Thompson, Al Horford, or other guys who are within 5% of their teammates with respect to FGA as second options.

I don't think "second option" describes any of those players.

Not every team has a "second option." Spurs, Hawks, Cavs, Warriors don't.

If you look at teams like the Raptors, Rockets, Thunder, etc; there is a clear cut second option.

For example, who is the second option between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook when both are healthy?

Simply put, there isn't one. They share the responsibility of scoring at will.

Don't know. Don't care. I'm not counting attempts or USG% or any of that, I'm just observing how Kyrie fits this team, and it's as 2nd banana.

James is comfortable being the #1 option on a team, everywhere he goes, everywhere he's been, every single coach ends up putting the ball in his hands because he's a one-man-offensive system.

Kyrie was the #1 option on the Cavs and couldn't handle the pressure. He did really stupid shit like driving in to crowds and forcing up a circus shot. James won't do that. He'll identify the defense collapsing on him, realize who they had to have left open, and make the pass.

But with the defense focusing primarily on James, they can't throw the book at Kyrie. Give Irving a fair shot (a man defending him, and a man in the paint) and he's going to do a ton of damage. LeBron doesn't need that. He minimally just needs someone who can bury an open shot (which thankfully Irving can do quite well in addition to his other talents).

 

[brownsbuck6]

I wish it was hyperbole, but we've all seen how this team played up until James took over playmaking. Subtract James, and the Cavs are struggling to play .500 ball. We knew Kyrie needed help with playmaking, that was the idea behind teaming him with Dion and trading for Jack, but none of that worked! But James could walk in on "Kyrie's team" and rip the ball from his hands and say, I got this ... because he's LeBron.

Combining Love with Irving sounds good on paper except the part that Irving still hasn't learned how to post-up a big man, and he still prefers to try to finish in a crowd or pass to a big near the hoop rather than kick the ball behind him to a spot up shooter.

btw, I've never argued that Kyrie was a "rich man's Boobie" extensively or even once. I have spent quite a bit of team clarifying what I did say, but some people continue to refuse to listen. Go figure.

Something I recognized then, and I recognize now, is that Kyrie has a long way to go to learn how to run a team ... to make the guys around him better. Not only does LeBron address that for him, he drops him down to second option on offense which means less pressure and more space for Irving to dance his way to the rim. Something he struggled to do when defenses could focus on stopping him.

A rich mans boobie gibson was a direct quote from you. I was there. I saw it. Unless you aren't JonFromVA. Are you trying to say you aren't JonFromVA, just 'Jon' with 20,000 posts and the same argument style? It's hard to believe you'd deny that in any way, shape or form. You said that after one of your marathon arguing sessions trying to convince the world, much like you still are doing here, at how much many of us overrate Kyrie. Glad to see you're consistent at least.

 

[Jon]

A rich mans boobie gibson was a direct quote from you. I was there. I saw it.

And yet, I've never said that Kyrie Irving was a rich man's Boobie Gibson. Some inferred that from what I did say, and I corrected them. But you were there, right? Surely you remember that too? right?

You said that after one of your marathon arguing sessions trying to convince the world, much like you still are doing here, at how much many of us overrate Kyrie. Glad to see you're consistent at least.

I don't need to "convince the world". I was correct. Kyrie was not a top-5 PG in the league, 3-weeks in to his rookie season or whatever it was. rofl

 

[Bballguy4]

I take it you aren't up on current events? Or are just fishing...

Quote Bill Simmons:

But I couldn’t shake the fear that I had screwed up. I spent the next two weeks watching Cleveland more closely, ultimately bumping Kyrie’s ranking before Part 2 of the written column was posted on February 25. LeBron’s miraculous return to form (thanks to two weeks of R&R in Miami)2 had overshadowed a more compelling subplot: Finally, we saw all the ways Kyrie could affect a winning team.

Ridiculous first step. Excellent shooting. Semi-freakociousness on fast breaks. A world-class ability to finish in traffic from any and every angle. It’s all there. When you project him as a Wealthy Man’s Tony Parker, Kyrie’s basketball ceiling makes more sense: He’s a ridiculously efficient scorer who needs another creator (or a fluidly brilliant offensive system) to get everyone else involved.

Could LeBron be that creator for him? No question. It’s already happening. Even if Kyrie will never have the Conley Clock in his head (see Part 2), it doesn’t matter if he’s playing with the right guys. I was dead wrong about Kyrie’s potential. But hey — at least I got to the right place with it. Just took awhile.

Which brings me to Tangent No. 1 …

When Jalen Rose and I taped The Grantland Basketball Hour with Kobelast month, we were killing time during one of the commercial breaks and I asked Kobe if he had any “new” favorite players. You know how great chefs always identify the other up-and-coming great chefs?

Kobe fancies himself as that guy for the NBA alpha dog/badass/overcompetitive mf’er corner. Knows it when he sees it. Even brags about being able to see it.

He sniffed it out early with Westbrook (his favorite current star) in 2012 and — to my surprise — he’s sniffing it with Kyrie now and said as much. Heloves Kyrie. So that was a game changer for me. When Chef Kobe blessed Chef Kyrie, I knew it was time to wipe my Kyrie Opinion Hard Drive and start over.
--end quote--

Kyrie showed that he couldn't lead when lebron was out for 2 weeks

Clutch is a stat, not a feeling.. Kyrie is one of the most clutch players to have played in the last 15 years. He's not called Mr. 4th Quarter just for shits and giggles.

Kyrie has some clutch moments but you can't be considered clutch when you don't win.. and just for comparison


Take note of the field goal attempts and field goal %


2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012 (sucked that year trying to adjust to wade)

2012-2013 (back on track)

Lebron basically put up triple doubles in crunch time






2013-2014

This right here is what true impact players do..their impact spreads to the team, not just individually

LeBron James, Heat great in the 'clutch'

As it pertains to the NBA, "clutch time" is defined as less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter or overtime and the score within five points.


And right now no team is more clutch than the Miami Heat, and no player is more clutch than LeBron James.

And after Monday’s comeback against the Boston Celtics, it’s worth noting in recent history just how great this Heat team has been in clutch situations.

In the past 17 seasons, the Heat are one of two teams that have outscored their opponents by more than 30 points per 100 possessions in "clutch time". The only team better than this year’s Heat? The 2008-09 Cleveland Cavaliers, who just happened to be led by LeBron.

something Kyrie knows nothing about

Clutch numbers in the playoffs

Playoff clutch time

(old)

updated

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/58575/lebron-james-isnt-clutch-think-again



Looking at LeBron James' performance in elimination games

Don't tellme Kyrie is mr 4th when he's losing most of his games prior to this year and also when lebron was out.

With Wade's health... Not with "Wade."

His health is/was part of it but also his game. Tons of heat fans said wade no longer played with passion and was happy to be riding lebron's coatails while sitting out games but at time attending fashion events.

Nonsense. James wouldn't even have been in Miami if not for Wade. But whatever, think what you want bro.

There were articles written about it..Im not making this up.

 

[Ohio]

Clutch situations is clutch situations...fact that the Cavs lost a bunch of games by double digits the last few years is totally irrelevant to Kyrie's performance in the clutch.

 

[DatDudeZ3]

Wow, this thread turned into a shit show... It's a damn shame because Kyrie is having a great season.

 

[All4One1ForAll]

ESPN's NBA Forecast just ranked the top 30 point guards in the league (very different from the rankings they released which were put together by a combination of league personnel).

Kyrie came in at 9th (behind Tony Parker…really?)

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...point-guards-no-1-chris-paul-no-30-dante-exum

1

Chris Paul - Clippers
Overall: 9.09
Leadership: 9.29
Defense: 8.42
Playmaking: 9.61
Scoring: 8.77
2

Stephen Curry - Warriors
Overall: 8.66
Leadership: 8.61
Defense: 6.48
Playmaking: 9.03
Scoring: 9.97
3

Russell Westbrook - Thunder
Overall: 8.48
Leadership: 7.84
Defense: 7.45
Playmaking: 8.52
Scoring: 9.87
4

John Wall - Wizards
Overall: 8.18
Leadership: 7.9
Defense: 7.58
Playmaking: 8.87
Scoring: 8.1
5

Mike Conley - Grizzlies
Overall: 7.76
Leadership: 8.35
Defense: 7.71
Playmaking: 7.65
Scoring: 7.35
6

Damian Lillard - Trail Blazers
Overall: 7.74
Leadership: 8.1
Defense: 5.61
Playmaking: 7.55
Scoring: 9.29
7

Kyle Lowry - Raptors
Overall: 7.63
Leadership: 7.94
Defense: 7.39
Playmaking: 7.39
Scoring: 7.81
8

Tony Parker - Spurs
Overall: 7.31
Leadership: 8.52
Defense: 5.06
Playmaking: 7.61
Scoring: 7.52
9

Kyrie Irving - Cavaliers
Overall: 7.17
Leadership: 6.16
Defense: 4.71
Playmaking: 7.84
Scoring: 9.26
10

Jeff Teague - Hawks
Overall: 7.16
Leadership: 7.06
Defense: 6.68
Playmaking: 7.19
Scoring: 7.58