Kyrie Irving

[DougHeil]

I'm loving Mike & Mike this morning. Entire show is comparing Kyrie to DWade in his prime. Talking about LeBron, etc. GREAT stuff.

 

[Damien O'Connel]

I can't think of a worse guard comparison for kyrie than prime dwade....

 

[Jon]

What keeps his game from looking more like Mark Price's isn't that he can't do what Price did, but that Price couldn't do what Kyrie can.

Back in the day, Mark Price was considered a "new age" guard because of his scoring & shooting ability.

 

[Jon]

I'm not telling you what you meant, I'm telling you what I observe and what I think based on those observations.

Like I said, earlier I'm done discussing this subject in the thread. Take it to PM if you want, but it sounds like we're done as well.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Back in the day, Mark Price was considered a "new age" guard because of his scoring & shooting ability.

Don't recall the "new age" label, but I'd agree that Price was more of an outside shooter than had been the norm at that position. Stockton was more of the pass-first PG, though he obviously could score as well. There'd been better scorers than Price at the PG position before -- Price didn't even break the 20 ppg mark in any season.

As great as Price was, I'd still rather have had Kyrie -- even on that particular team -- , which to me validates his "PG" credentials because that's the role he'd be playing.. Price was a better playmaker (didn't hurt having Lenny as his coach) and outside shooter than Kyrie is now, but he wasn't as good a ballhandler or penetrator, two skills that also were usually associated with that position. Yet despite not being elite in those particular skills, Price was still considered an elite PG overall.

That's kind of how I'd see Kyrie. I'd agree that Kyrie isn't an elite playmaker, but only the high-end, first ballot HOF types are elite at every aspect of the position they play. His playmaking skills (at this early point in his young career) are probably about average, but he has other PG skills -- particularly ballhandling and penetrating -- that are exceptional, as is his scoring ability.

 

[theSTEREO.]

I'm loving Mike & Mike this morning. Entire show is comparing Kyrie to DWade in his prime. Talking about LeBron, etc. GREAT stuff.

That's two major outlets recognizing the comparison in the last few days. First Grantland, now M&M.

I think we are starting to see an evolution of Kyrie becoming the ultimate hybrid of Wade and Tony Parker. He has the potential to have the best elements of each.

Lebron left 34 year old Wade for a 23 year old version who hasn't even sniffed his ceiling yet.

If Lebron guides his game properly as he ages so that even as his athelticism declines, he can still be effective, then between Kyrie and Kevin Love, our championship window is gonna be open for a good long while.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

I think we are starting to see an evolution of Kyrie becoming the ultimate hybrid of Wade and Tony Parker. He has the potential to have the best elements of each.

Wade's defense was exceptional, and a big part of what made him an MVP-quality player. I honestly don't see Kyrie ever getting close to that.

 

[kookoo]

I don't see Wade. I see more if Jamal Crawford was a superstar. And there was a time Crawford was a borderline allstar, but Kyrie has skills outside crazy dribbles and deep 3 pointers.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

Wade's defense was exceptional, and a big part of what made him an MVP-quality player. I honestly don't see Kyrie ever getting close to that.

And neither Wade nor Parker come close to Irving's shooting (particularly 3's)

 

[Chris]

And neither Wade nor Parker come close to Irving's shooting (particularly 3's)

That doesn't really disprove what he said, though.

 

[614balling]

One of the only things kyrie has left to develop in his game is consistency. Can he put up about 25-30 points a night? He definetly has the talent to do it but there are nights where he seems to coast. Once he does that hell be a top five player.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

That doesn't really disprove what he said, though.

Who said I was trying to disprove anything? I'm just adding to the reasons a comparison between Irving and Wade/Parker is imperfect.

 

[KI4MVP]

FIBA MVP...not being facetious, but I feel like this is the kind of accomplishment that would be downplayed in this debate if it applied to a non-Cav.

The last 4 FIBA MVPs:

Dirk, Pau, Durant, Irving

 

[KI4MVP]

Instead of talking about where the best guard in the east ranks as a "PG", how about we talk about how well he fits in as LeBron's teammate. Kyrie's 30 point in his playoff debut is 2 more points than Wade's best game in all of last year's playoffs. In fact, Wade only scored 30 or more points 3 times in the last 3 years of playoffs where the heat won 2 championships.

Kyrie may fit in better beside LeBron than Wade ever did because I never get the sense that his scoring takes away from what LeBron does the way Wade did. Kyrie generally scores in the flow of the offense when they are on the court together and takes over the scoring load when LeBron sits. Kyrie has always been as comfortable playing off the ball as he is as the primary ball handler and is deadly at catch and shoot.

Without being better than prime wade as an individual player (yet), Kyrie is probably the best fit as a teammate LeBron has ever had.

 

[DougHeil]

Instead of talking about where the best guard in the east ranks as a "PG", how about we talk about how well he fits in as LeBron's teammate. Kyrie's 30 point in his playoff debut is 2 more points than Wade's best game in all of last year's playoffs. In fact, Wade only scored 30 or more points 3 times in the last 3 years of playoffs where the heat won 2 championships.

Kyrie may fit in better beside LeBron than Wade ever did because I never get the sense that his scoring takes away from what LeBron does the way Wade did. Kyrie generally scores in the flow of the offense when they are on the court together and takes over the scoring load when LeBron sits. Kyrie has always been as comfortable playing off the ball as he is as the primary ball handler and is deadly at catch and shoot.

Without being better than prime wade as an individual player (yet), Kyrie is probably the best fit as a teammate LeBron has ever had.

Nice. Agreed.

Wade and LeBron are about one in the same in Wade's prime. Kyrie's play is not the same. Kyrie compliments LeBron. The reverse is true. For these reasons and what was stated above, Kyrie is surely a much better fit with LeBron. I don't think it's even close.

And in regards to what mike and mike were discussing; there is no doubt Kyrie will surpass Wade, even if talking about Wade's prime years.