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

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Regrade the finalized trade

  • A+

    Votes: 20 8.0%
  • A

    Votes: 70 27.9%
  • B

    Votes: 74 29.5%
  • C

    Votes: 39 15.5%
  • D

    Votes: 18 7.2%
  • F

    Votes: 30 12.0%

  • Total voters
    251
IT's ridiculous FT rate is in direct relation to his miniature frame and inability to maintain his balance when he is played with even a modicum of physical defense. It also doesn't hurt that he will not hesitate to exaggerate contact, making every tiny pull/push/slap look egregious.

Kyrie is exactly the opposite. He is very difficult to knock off balance even if the defender is trying and he'll often overpower bigger defenders. Additionally, he almost never exaggerates any contact to sell a call, always trying his level best to actually make the basket.

This hurts KI and helps IT in the regular season. Unfortunately for the Celtics, it reverses in the playoffs.
Not to mention Kyrie usually finishes around the hoop anyway.

You know how this league works... often times there's only a late whistle if the guy misses. And even so, when he gets a whistle, it's one free-throw at a higher rate than IT. Not that I'm complaining about and-1 opportunities, it's just part of why Irving isn't getting to the line as much from a numbers perspective.
 
A
Never noticed until now.. but Lue is visibly upset when Kyrie doesn't screen off Klay onto Livingston. At 0:14 he turns around and vents at his assistants.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yNGRsLlb3A

As he should be. Even though Kyrie made the shot, it was a lot tougher than it needed to be. Klay is an excellent man defender, if you have the chance to iso Livingtson instead, take it every time
 
So...whats the conclusion...for us "non-insiders"?
Quote from the article:

"Curry, Harden, Westbrook and Paul all do as much or more offensively while not nearly dragging their teams down defensively the way Irving does."

Just ignore it. Idk who this guy is, but he quite obviously has an agenda. Curry got benched with an illegal substitution for the last possession of the Cavs Warriors game because he is that bad defensively while Kyrie made a fallaway over Klay.

They would literally sooner make an illegal substitution than have a chance of the Cavs matching up Curry and Kyrie. This is a guy who doesn't drag their team down defensively the way Irving does.
 
Quote from the article:

"Curry, Harden, Westbrook and Paul all do as much or more offensively while not nearly dragging their teams down defensively the way Irving does."

Just ignore it. Idk who this guy is, but he quite obviously has an agenda. Curry got benched with an illegal substitution for the last possession of the Cavs Warriors game because he is that bad defensively while Kyrie made a fallaway over Klay.

They would literally sooner make an illegal substitution than have a chance of the Cavs matching up Curry and Kyrie. This is a guy who doesn't drag their team down defensively the way Irving does.
"ESPN Insider director: All right guys, we need a good NBA article. There are so many stories to write about. We need something unique.

Jeremias: I got it! Let's write about Kyrie Irving and his RPM!

EID: Jeremias, good idea, but I feel like we did that before.

Jeremias: It's been one whole week!

EID: Good point. Get cracking."

/end scene
 
"ESPN Insider director: All right guys, we need a good NBA article. There are so many stories to write about. We need something unique.

Jeremias: I got it! Let's write about Kyrie Irving and his RPM!

EID: Jeremias, good idea, but I feel like we did that before.

Jeremias: It's been one whole week!

EID: Good point. Get cracking."

/end scene
Just throwing this out there as one data point, offensive points per possession this year (percentile in parentheses)

Curry 1.123 PPP (96th)
Thomas 1.12 PPP (96th)
Lowry 1.111 PPP (95th)
Lillard 1.062 PPP (87th)
Irving 1.052 PPP (86th)
Paul 1.039 PPP (83rd)
Walker 1.033 PPP (81st)
Harden 0.986 PPP (69th)
Westbrook 0.925 PPP (50th)
Wall 0.888 PPP (38th)

I slot Kyrie behind Westbrook, Curry, and Paul (though I debate with Paul). With the rest, I think Kyrie has a legit case.

This elite "embrace debate" BS is really something else.

Soon to be 4x All-Star
ASG MVP
ROY
PG for Gold Medal USA
NBA champion
41 in elimination G5 of Finals
Most clutch shot in NBA history

If that isn't elite, then what in the hell is?

If you want to ding Kyrie for his truly poor defense and inability to carry a team alone when he was 19-22, OK I guess mission accomplished then.

Numbers without context are just intellectually dishonest.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
What happened to the guy we had for a week that was making plays for other guys and kicking out to shooters?
 

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