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

[CleveRocks]

At 25, he is just getting started. As we move post LeBron he will factor in larger. Part of what I like about what Griffin has done is the adding of younger talent to the team, like Derrick, even Sanders. I fully expect Sanders to suck the year, but I am hopeful he can come around enough to be constructive next year..

 

[godfather]

I know we've been struggling a bit lately. But we have two players averaging nearly 26 points a game. I think JR and Korver are still getting back into the swing of things.

If we can eventually figure out a way to play at least good defense. Whether that's Sanders coming into the fold and making a difference (probably doubtful), or switching up our scheme, something, I still love this team's chances of winning it all.

We can't take this for granted though, and say we'll get it done in another year if it doesn't happen this year.

I don't know how many years left we'll have both of Kyrie and LeBron playing at such a blistering pace like they are this season.

That's probably the most frustrating part of it all. LB has returned to his Miami form.

Kyrie is starting to enter his peak. They've crossed paths at the right time in their careers and we can't let it slip away.

There's no debate IMO, they are the best duo in the league. Better than Durant and Steph. And I feel it's almost a crime if we can't win it all with how well they are both playing right now.

 

[cavsfever]

There's no debate IMO, they are the best duo in the league. Better than Durant and Steph. And I feel it's almost a crime if we can't win it all with how well they are both playing right now.

That's right. This is our moment. A championship is far from guaranteed, but blowing this year by playing lackadaisical defense would really be a crime. Opportunities like having a healthy Lebron and Kyrie playing together at this level only come to a team once every couple decades.

 

[Real Deal]

I know we've been struggling a bit lately. But we have two players averaging nearly 26 points a game. I think JR and Korver are still getting back into the swing of things.

If we can eventually figure out a way to play at least good defense. Whether that's Sanders coming into the fold and making a difference (probably doubtful), or switching up our scheme, something, I still love this team's chances of winning it all.

We can't take this for granted though, and say we'll get it done in another year if it doesn't happen this year.

I don't know how many years left we'll have both of Kyrie and LeBron playing at such a blistering pace like they are this season.

That's probably the most frustrating part of it all. LB has returned to his Miami form.

Kyrie is starting to enter his peak. They've crossed paths at the right time in their careers and we can't let it slip away.

There's no debate IMO, they are the best duo in the league. Better than Durant and Steph. And I feel it's almost a crime if we can't win it all with how well they are both playing right now.

LeBron Miami form? You're pushing that.

This is LeBron's worst defensive season of his adult life as Windy put it, and I agree. But there's just no way. He's not all defense here.

His Miami form consisted of All-NBA caliber defense.

 

[godfather]

LeBron Miami form? You're pushing that.

This is LeBron's worst defensive season of his adult life as Windy put it, and I agree. But there's just no way. He's not all defense here.

His Miami form consisted of All-NBA caliber defense.

I was speaking at an offensive standpoint. He's shooting 54% and nearly 40% from three. That's Miami LeBron offensively.

And as for defense, he's 32 years old and leads the league in minutes played. Does anyone really expect him to bust his balls every single night defensively? He just can't....

I think LB deserves a pass on that one. He's still a good defensive player. But, at this age, yes, if he's asked to be beaten to the ground his defense will suffer, because he's not immortal. He's get tired.

 

[czvo]

Kyrie is going to have a vastly better career than Paul. Kyrie will win league MVP and/or Finals MVP some day. He's playing at MVP level the past 20 or so games and was easily the 2nd best player in the finals.

I smell a bet...

 

[Jordan]

LeBron Miami form? You're pushing that.

This is LeBron's worst defensive season of his adult life as Windy put it, and I agree. But there's just no way. He's not all defense here.

His Miami form consisted of All-NBA caliber defense.

I agree, on the whole, that this is LeBron's worst defensive season since his second year in the NBA. I do think, though, that Windy was overreacting to one really bad game. LeBron's team defense has still been a net positive. He is nowhere near the individual defender as he was in Miami, but, the team has plenty of players playing much worse defense.

My only hope is that, as JR gets healthy, his defense becomes consistent. He is playing the smartest defense of anyone on the team, but last night, his legs were just shot and he couldn't keep up with guys.

I'm definitely worried about the defense, though. Even with JR getting healthy, LeBron going zero-dark-23, etc., I don't think we can overcome Longbardi's shit defensive system. LeBron sucked last night, but overall his defense has not been the issue. It's that we can't play this defense without Kevin Garnett... And I'm seeing no signs on the court - other than a statement from Lue - that we are adjusting to Lue's playoff defense.

 

[godfather]

I think LB is saving his defensive intensity until the playoffs. Otherwise he might be burnt out by round two of the playoffs.

I can't stress enough how pissed off I am. We play him too much. We are lucky he's a freak, otherwise he'd be broken down by now.

Even still, he's human, he can't go all out. So his defense is down? Well, it should be, he can't do it all like he's 25.

I know, the team is struggling, I get it.... But if LB wears down in the playoffs we are completely fucked. Lue needs to install more confidence in the others. And just roll with it. We got no choice. LeBron's minutes have to decrease.

Frankly, we've been having to rest LB often on back-to-backs, because of how much we play him. The way we're using LeBron is just awful.

Let Kyrie run the second unit. This isn't Kyrie of last season... He's healthy, he's energetic, and frankly, he's on a fucking tear right now.

Lue needs to adjust. I think it's been obvious Kyrie should be running the second for awhile, and not LeBron. Let him run it with Deron, put Kyrie as the number 2 guard/scorer in that scenario.

It allows Deron to be the actual point guard, and Kyrie gets to focus more on scoring with that unit.

 

[apolo29]

Is it becoming obvious that this year is a major leap forward for kyrie?

His efficiency has actually jumped across the board (from last year at least)

meanwhile his scoring is up significantly.

He's close to 26 ppg and 6 assists, as "second fiddle' fi you can call him that (really think him and bron are.. co alphas) .. a 6 point jump over last year with better numbers across the board.

Ridiculously good.

6 assists acting as the secondary ball handler basically by the way means on his own I think ky could easily pull 7 or 8 assists per game.

Kid is ALREADY special and was special since day one and if he continues to grow wow is that going to be something to see.

He's been my favorite player in the league since day one for a reason.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

It's almost as if these guys have a second gear...

 

[czvo]

It's almost as if these guys have a second gear...

This isn't exactly reassuring given that they've been a dumpster fire (relatively speaking) since the ASB.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Man, Kyrie can't get any calls wtf! That postup j vs Kemba no call was particularly awful. He needs to pick up a tech on a bad no call in the first half of a game or something like Kobe used to because he's Rodney Dangerfield right now.

 

[godfather]

It's almost as if these guys have a second gear...

Kyrie always to another level after the all-star break. He didn't last year because he never really got his legs under him. The post-season was that for him.

Still a little concern though much we rely on him and LeBron right now. But, Kyrie is peaking at the right time and doesn't look like he's wearing down at all.

 

[Zeus69]

John Michael‏ @CavsJMike
#Cavs @KyrieIrving last 20 games:

28.6 PPG
5.6 APG
49.4 FG%
40.1 3P%
93.4 FT%

20 or more points in ALL 20 games. #CavsRadio

 

[RedBlackAttack]

Man, Kyrie can't get any calls wtf! That postup j vs Kemba no call was particularly awful. He needs to pick up a tech on a bad no call in the first half of a game or something like Kobe used to because he's Rodney Dangerfield right now.

Yeah, that particular no-call was atrocious and it came a couple possessions after Marco Belinelli got a favorable call working the post with very little contact.

To drive the point home, Belinelli shot 5 free throws tonight. Kyrie? 2.

It could have easily been 10-12. He was also fouled on that leaner that he hit late in the third and it was obvious.

I mean, I try to watch the games and evaluate the officials as fairly as I can with my personal biases in mind, but there is no one that can deny how little respect he gets in comparison to ... everyone.