[NJHooper95Participant]

 Too much finger pointing has been going Kyrie’s way, but where would the Cavs be without him. I have watched Every Cavs game this year with the exception of one and I see a special player when I watch this guy. I have seen too many games where Kyrie is making shot for shot against another team, or scoring 8,10,12 points in a row just to keep his team in the game. Kyrie is the best offensive pg in the game in my opinion some will say curry, but Kyrie post game separates them. Yet, he doesn’t have the cast of players on his team that other top pgs have. 

I watched him battled Lilliard who has Alridge and others, Curry who has Thompson, Lee and others, Teague who has Horford, Millsap and others and lost all of those games at the buzzer or In ot. Kyrie can compete with any pg I’m the game and has outplayed many of them this year, but one man is not enough. You need a team to win and Cleveland has done an awful job of putting talent around him, but he getting criticized for shooting a lot, if he or waiters don’t score then who will? Kyrie has made huge gains in his defense and hustle this year, still has a way to go but he has improved in that area. No disrespect to Wall, Paul,Curry, Westbrook, Parker, and any other pg some would rank over Irving, as they are all great pgs. But name a point guard that you rank over Irving that doesn’t have two or more players better than Cleveland’s second option in Waiters!!

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

Lol you think this team around him is bad? Go back and look at some of the teams Chris Paul had in New Orleans. 

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

 Didn’t Chris Paul have David West and Tyson Chandler for the majority of his stay in New Orleans ?

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

 Didn’t Chris Paul have David West and Tyson Chandler for the majority of his stay in New Orleans ?

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

I just looked at the roster lineup from 06 to 011 and the Hornets roster is deff better then what the Cav have had around Kyrie.

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

I just looked at the roster lineup from 06 to 011 and the Hornets roster is deff better then what the Cav have had around Kyrie.

[drk3351Participant]

 Paul made West an all-star.

[drk3351Participant]

 Paul made West an all-star.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 He made West better, but West has scored a good amount with or without CP3. But then again he has a very nice situation in Indiana as well. 

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 He made West better, but West has scored a good amount with or without CP3. But then again he has a very nice situation in Indiana as well. 

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

Lol you think this team around him is bad? Go back and look at some of the teams Chris Paul had in New Orleans. 

[NJHooper95Participant]

 You are right Paul had a bad team in New Orleans, but Paul is a way better leader than Kyrie and most of the pgs in the league, he is capable of willing his team to a few victories and Paul didn’t have the one of the youngest team in the league if not the youngest. don’t get me wrong, Kyrie has short-comings and leadership and defense are two of them but he is getting better at both.

[NJHooper95Participant]

 You are right Paul had a bad team in New Orleans, but Paul is a way better leader than Kyrie and most of the pgs in the league, he is capable of willing his team to a few victories and Paul didn’t have the one of the youngest team in the league if not the youngest. don’t get me wrong, Kyrie has short-comings and leadership and defense are two of them but he is getting better at both.

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

 But he is good and can be great as he matures as a player and person. I too have watched every game this season and though his shooting numbers are down, I believe he has improved greatly this season. He has improved his defense, leadership, attitude and energy level by leaps and bounds this year.

Let’s say for instance a player has a 24 PER and gives up opposing opponents 21 PER but has great shooting numbers. Then a player has a 20 PER with worse shooting number but gives up a sub 15 PER to opposing players they are guarding. The second player is this season Kyrie and technically is better than the last year Kyrie besides the fact he and not Tristan Thompson is the leader of the team now. Thats progress.

  

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

 But he is good and can be great as he matures as a player and person. I too have watched every game this season and though his shooting numbers are down, I believe he has improved greatly this season. He has improved his defense, leadership, attitude and energy level by leaps and bounds this year.

Let’s say for instance a player has a 24 PER and gives up opposing opponents 21 PER but has great shooting numbers. Then a player has a 20 PER with worse shooting number but gives up a sub 15 PER to opposing players they are guarding. The second player is this season Kyrie and technically is better than the last year Kyrie besides the fact he and not Tristan Thompson is the leader of the team now. Thats progress.

  

[stealsgaloreParticipant]

 Call me crazy but when I see Kyrie play I think his career will go much like Stephon Marbury’s. Both are score-first point guards with amazing handles and finishing ability. Kyrie is a slightly better 3 point shooter while Stephon averaged more assists and has an edge in athleticism. 

Throwing out his last season in Boston, Stephon averaged 20 ppg and 8 apg on 43% shooting (33% from 3)

Through his first 3 seasons Kyrie is averaging 22 ppg, 6apg on 45% shooting (39% from 3)

Both also are averaging a similar amount of FGA

Their numbers in college were very similar, as was their team success (admittedly a small sample size for Kyrie). 

Marbury maxed out as a third team all NBA player which is where Kyrie’s ceiling probably is. 

I think the challenge for Kyrie and all young PG’s is to be a leader on the team while finding a balance between scoring and passing. Marbury was not a good teammate/leader and only made the playoffs one time. Kyrie hasn’t made the playoffs yet and I hope he doesn’t get frustrated and go down the same path as Marbury. 

 

 

[stealsgaloreParticipant]

 Call me crazy but when I see Kyrie play I think his career will go much like Stephon Marbury’s. Both are score-first point guards with amazing handles and finishing ability. Kyrie is a slightly better 3 point shooter while Stephon averaged more assists and has an edge in athleticism. 

Throwing out his last season in Boston, Stephon averaged 20 ppg and 8 apg on 43% shooting (33% from 3)

Through his first 3 seasons Kyrie is averaging 22 ppg, 6apg on 45% shooting (39% from 3)

Both also are averaging a similar amount of FGA

Their numbers in college were very similar, as was their team success (admittedly a small sample size for Kyrie). 

Marbury maxed out as a third team all NBA player which is where Kyrie’s ceiling probably is. 

I think the challenge for Kyrie and all young PG’s is to be a leader on the team while finding a balance between scoring and passing. Marbury was not a good teammate/leader and only made the playoffs one time. Kyrie hasn’t made the playoffs yet and I hope he doesn’t get frustrated and go down the same path as Marbury. 

 

 

[M.GarveyParticipant]

 Kyrie has a lot of time, he’s young, he’ll mature into a leader, he’s what 22? Sometimes losing early makes a player better. Kevin Love on the other hand.

And 6 percentage points difference is huge in basketball. @stealsgalore-"Slightly better?" 39 vs 33%, really?

 

 

[MUbballfanParticipant]

 I agree with this. Also, Kyrie is only 21.

[MUbballfanParticipant]

 I agree with this. Also, Kyrie is only 21.

[M.GarveyParticipant]

 Kyrie has a lot of time, he’s young, he’ll mature into a leader, he’s what 22? Sometimes losing early makes a player better. Kevin Love on the other hand.

And 6 percentage points difference is huge in basketball. @stealsgalore-"Slightly better?" 39 vs 33%, really?

 

 

[TarHeelRavenParticipant]

 I think questions about Kyrie’s leadership are legitimate.  I think I read somewhere that Dion Waiters absolutely hates him and people on the team think he’s a ball hog and he tries to do everything himself.  He is an immense talent, but he is only 22 and on a painfully young team.  He played a total of 11 games in college under one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time in Coach K.  Maybe a change of scenery might be good for Kyrie on a team with lots of veteran leadership and a disciplined head coach.  

[TarHeelRavenParticipant]

 I think questions about Kyrie’s leadership are legitimate.  I think I read somewhere that Dion Waiters absolutely hates him and people on the team think he’s a ball hog and he tries to do everything himself.  He is an immense talent, but he is only 22 and on a painfully young team.  He played a total of 11 games in college under one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time in Coach K.  Maybe a change of scenery might be good for Kyrie on a team with lots of veteran leadership and a disciplined head coach.  

[fbrunetParticipant]

 ….John Wall. It’s interesting because I think both the Cavs and Wizards are in similar places as organizations right now and by virtue of featuring two of the top young pgs in the league there are a lot of parallels to be drawn in terms of team success, reaching the playoffs, building a roster around the pg position, etc.

that said, their rosters are fairly similar in terms of talent level. John is a pg that makes his teammates better and is become more complete every week. He helped Bradley Beal transition into perhaps the premier young SG in the NBA, he has helped Martell Webster and Trevor Ariza play way above their career norms for a get years now, he has helped Nene keep himself relevant amidst all his injuries. His jumpshot is much more consistent than it was early on in his career (he has improved both balance and form), but it still has a ways to go. Other than that though he’s as complete as they come. Top 3 fastest in the league with the ball in his hands (Lawson and Westbrook maybe the others), he has good size at 6’4" 215, he can defend by both getting steals and blocks (though he still has room to improve on moving his feet), he drives and dishes better than pretty much everyone in the NBA, he has an abundance of athleticism and energy and any questions about his leadership that may have been an issue in his first few years are far in the rearview. He has brought some stability to a previously more downtrodden franchise, and he and Bradley beal will be one of the best back outta in the NBA for years to come because of what they both offer on both sides of the ball (in addition to their intangibles).

 

[fbrunetParticipant]

Comparing him to Kyrie, though, I think he has a slight edge because of his ability to elevate his teammates and because of his size. If he had Kyrie’s jumper he would be the best PG in the NBA, and vice versa, if Kyrie has Wall’s body and athleticism he might be (more) unstoppable as well. At the end of the day John is a better passer, finisher, defender, athlete, and leader. Kyrie is a better scorer and shooter, and has better handles (even though they’re both pretty darn solid). They both don’t have too much to work with right now but it’ll be interesting to see how they build around both pgs. 

[fbrunetParticipant]

Comparing him to Kyrie, though, I think he has a slight edge because of his ability to elevate his teammates and because of his size. If he had Kyrie’s jumper he would be the best PG in the NBA, and vice versa, if Kyrie has Wall’s body and athleticism he might be (more) unstoppable as well. At the end of the day John is a better passer, finisher, defender, athlete, and leader. Kyrie is a better scorer and shooter, and has better handles (even though they’re both pretty darn solid). They both don’t have too much to work with right now but it’ll be interesting to see how they build around both pgs. 

[fbrunetParticipant]

 ….John Wall. It’s interesting because I think both the Cavs and Wizards are in similar places as organizations right now and by virtue of featuring two of the top young pgs in the league there are a lot of parallels to be drawn in terms of team success, reaching the playoffs, building a roster around the pg position, etc.

that said, their rosters are fairly similar in terms of talent level. John is a pg that makes his teammates better and is become more complete every week. He helped Bradley Beal transition into perhaps the premier young SG in the NBA, he has helped Martell Webster and Trevor Ariza play way above their career norms for a get years now, he has helped Nene keep himself relevant amidst all his injuries. His jumpshot is much more consistent than it was early on in his career (he has improved both balance and form), but it still has a ways to go. Other than that though he’s as complete as they come. Top 3 fastest in the league with the ball in his hands (Lawson and Westbrook maybe the others), he has good size at 6’4" 215, he can defend by both getting steals and blocks (though he still has room to improve on moving his feet), he drives and dishes better than pretty much everyone in the NBA, he has an abundance of athleticism and energy and any questions about his leadership that may have been an issue in his first few years are far in the rearview. He has brought some stability to a previously more downtrodden franchise, and he and Bradley beal will be one of the best back outta in the NBA for years to come because of what they both offer on both sides of the ball (in addition to their intangibles).

 

[ball4life23Participant]

 Kyrie Irving is todays Allen Iverson.

[ball4life23Participant]

 Kyrie Irving is todays Allen Iverson.

[Author]

Posts