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

[Ohio]

People just want to wait until he either shoots poorly or gives up 30 to talk about Kyrie at this point, and I mean that across all fanbases not just ours.

It's pretty fascinating. I think a lot of it has to do with the focus on analytics nowadays, or a position label and how people feel he should play...and what Kyrie does defies those methods. Some people are so stuck on those things that they just can't recognize or understand his greatness. No matter what he does. He can go on like this for another month but one bad night and fans everywhere will bring out the pitchforks, ESPN will be writing a negative piece citing a couple numerics that make him look bad, etc. It's an endless cycle. Kyrie is different and that makes a lot of people dislike him. This isn't new in sports and it's not changing. There are countless examples of this. People that are different get hated on because of it, regardless of the skills or the production or the accomplishments or whatever. This isn't meant to be a remark at anyone on this site either, like you say, this is common across all fanbases and media members. It's just a general observation and conclusion I've reached re: Kyrie.

Anyway, he had a hell of a game, he's had a hell of a week and a hell of a season so far. It's still January though, and all it takes is a bad game or two to drag his efficiency down to below career highs. I just think we've seen enough of Kyrie in his career at this point to know, if he's healthy, his scoring is really not something that needs worrying about.

 

[godfather]

Considering the task Shump and TT were up against today, I would give the MVP of today's game to one of them. But in the last week or so, Kyrie has been by far our best player. No doubt about that.

I'm giving it to Kyrie, because I thought he demonstrated great leadership of being the guy to kinda rally the team together. It felt like they fed off him more than anyone else today.

I think he was kinda that engine that got it all going.

And when things looked bleak in that fourth, he came back in, and ended any momentum OKC was gaining. But I agree, all three were fantastic today. Really great games from them.

LB wasn't bad, either. It's just nice to see him not having to anchor it all on both ends for this team. While having a very quiet but still very effective game, too.

 

[Jordan]

It's not the lobs with lobs like Delly did, but have you guys noticed the chemistry that TT and Kyrie have? Kyrie always finds TT when he's attacking.

Their chemistry on the pick-and-roll is something to behold. One of the five most deadly plays we run.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

Their chemistry on the pick-and-roll is something to behold. One of the five most deadly plays we run.

if you don't do a top 5 list right now in this here thread you're no better than Jmoney and titletown for not fighting to bring us Melo

 

[dark2332]

Kyrie was our best player today. You could argue he's been our best player as of late...

Right. The interesting thing is, while the team had recently been playing worse, he has showed better defensive awareness and tenacity in that same timeframe.

 

[Jordan]

if you don't do a top 5 list right now in this here thread you're no better than Jmoney and titletown for not fighting to bring us Melo

1) LeBron/Kyrie pick-and-roll
2) Kyrie double-screen with both Love and LeBron
3) Weave that leads to the Love/LeBron at the elbow or Kyrie from the top-of-the-key
4) Punch, Snap, Hammer
5) Kyrie/TT pick-and-roll

Those would be my five. Cavs have a bunch of plays that we score on a vast majority of the time.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

1) LeBron/Kyrie pick-and-roll
2) Kyrie double-screen with both Love and LeBron
3) Weave that leads to the Love/LeBron at the elbow or Kyrie from the top-of-the-key
4) Punch, Snap, Hammer
5) Kyrie/TT pick-and-roll

Those would be my five. Cavs have a bunch of plays that we score on a vast majority of the time.

You should do an article on this. Tbh I'm not even sure what 4 is.

I also really like the Channing-Korver off ball screen

 

[Jordan]

You should do an article on this. Tbh I'm not even sure what 4 is.

I also really like the Channing-Korver off ball screen

If I have time, I will. Things have been super busy for me lately. Classes just started up again last week, doing some publishing work for my real career, etc. But perhaps later this week I'll write something.

EDIT: And yeah, I've really begun to love when the off-ball screen is a double screen with Frye/Korver and Love, and one of the two bolts to the corner and the other to the top of the key as LeBron drives. Nearly impossible to guard.

 

[RedBlackAttack]

You should do an article on this. Tbh I'm not even sure what 4 is.

I also really like the Channing-Korver off ball screen

Someone already beat him to the "punch"...

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18395156/nba-unabridged-story-one-brilliant-lebron-play

Get it? Punch?

I'm so witty.


Incredible game by Kyrie today. A national audience may have come in expecting a thunderous performance by the one point guard, but they got it from the other. And, the national sports writers are noticeably quiet as a result (already been discussed in this thread).

Anyway... Enjoy!

 

[Flight479]

1) LeBron/Kyrie pick-and-roll
2) Kyrie double-screen with both Love and LeBron
3) Weave that leads to the Love/LeBron at the elbow or Kyrie from the top-of-the-key
4) Punch, Snap, Hammer
5) Kyrie/TT pick-and-roll

Those would be my five. Cavs have a bunch of plays that we score on a vast majority of the time.

LeBron at the elbow with shooters all around is easily top 3. So many options and he can drive to the rim if the defense stay with them.

 

[Flight479]

If I have time, I will. Things have been super busy for me lately. Classes just started up again last week, doing some publishing work for my real career, etc. But perhaps later this week I'll write something.

EDIT: And yeah, I've really begun to love when the off-ball screen is a double screen with Frye/Korver and Love, and one of the two bolts to the corner and the other to the top of the key as LeBron drives. Nearly impossible to guard.

Yeah this play is near unguardable. RJ can cut, Frye and Korver setting screens to free each other and Bron can go one on one if necessary.

 

[Jordan]

LeBron at the elbow with shooters all around is easily top 3. So many options and he can drive to the rim if the defense stay with them.

It actually hasn't been as effective this season, at least with the LBJ+bench unit. When he does it with Kyrie on the court, though, it's unstoppable. But without Kyrie, teams just put their strongest defender on LBJ and guard everyone else one-on-one.

 

[RedBlackAttack]

It actually hasn't been as effective this season, at least with the LBJ+bench unit. When he does it with Kyrie on the court, though, it's unstoppable. But without Kyrie, teams just put their strongest defender on LBJ and guard everyone else one-on-one.

I was just going to post this. That is the lineup that has been killing us recently... LeBron with Korver, RJ, Frye and Felder or Liggins.

Lue actually used Shump with that group in the first half today and it was a lot better. It gave the unit a secondary ball-handler and a plus defender to help clean up the slow-footedness of Frye.

But, in the second half, Lue went with Felder instead of Shump and it was -- once again -- a disaster. That was when OKC cut it to 7.

Then, Kyrie stepped back in and the game was immediately put away.

Anyway, that's where we really miss Delly the most, and also where JR's absence is hurting us the most. That gave us that secondary ball-handler with the LBJ-led second unit and it was money all year.

In today's NBA, even LeBron James can't be the only guy on the court who can beat his defender off the dribble and handle the ball consistently.

 

[NorthCoastBias]

wat iz his ts?

 

[Jordan]

I was just going to post this. That is the lineup that has been killing us recently... LeBron with Korver, RJ, Frye and Felder or Liggins.

Lue actually used Shump with that group in the first half today and it was a lot better. It gave the unit a secondary ball-handler and a plus defender to help clean up the slow-footedness of Frye.

But, in the second half, Lue went with Felder instead of Shump and it was -- once again -- a disaster. That was when OKC cut it to 7.

Then, Kyrie stepped back in and the game was immediately put away.

Anyway, that's where we really miss Delly the most, and also where JR's absence is hurting us the most. That gave us that secondary ball-handler with the LBJ-led second unit and it was money all year.

In today's NBA, even LeBron James can't be the only guy on the court who can beat his defender off the dribble and handle the ball consistently.

Great, great post. I watched the game on double-speed after I got home from protesting outside of the White House. I noticed this a bit too, but glad someone who watched it at the real pace could confirm it, thanks!