I think he has the talent to be the best player on a good team(like Harden), but he has to make major changes in how he plays to do so. For one thing, he needs to focus on setting up his teammates, and not just getting buckets. Then, he needs to be a passable defender. Not great, but not a major liability either. Kyrie is like a mini Melo at this point, which is why its ironic that the Knicks are one of his preferred destinations. Finally, just remember the Cavs turn into one of the worst teams in the NBA when LeBron doesn't play. That should tell you all you need to know about Kyrie's ability to make others better.
yeah ive never really considered kyrie a pg. hes a very good scorer with great handles. playmaking isn't an instinct that he has truly combined as part of his game, atleast not consistently
Exactly. Which is why he's best suited in a second banana role or playing next to someone that can help with playmaking duties. The Spurs system or playing next to Butler would be good fits for him. If Miami could keep Dragic next to him, that would work, too. The Knicks would be an entertaining disaster, and a lock for the lottery. Philadelphia with Simmons and Fultz would be a good fit for Kyrie too.
That Cavs team is another year older with a lame duck James leaving... I am not taking them over an emerging Boston team that has also so far added Gordon Hayward... not with Irving gone and whatever they replace him with won't be as good.
Kyrie is going nowhere. This is a power struggle and Kyrie made it known what he wants really is LeBron gone, hence the leak about the meeting with Gilbert. You don't trades a 25-year-old franchise point guard in his prime locked under contract until 2020. When the dust settles, LeBron is the one who will leave either in free agency or via trade.
You don't trade King Jammies. You can't remake that bed after the kids have burnt it to the ground during a riot.
The problem stems from control, Lebron is a great player but the Cavs shouldn't have let him control everything from the gm to the coach to roster it rubs players the wrong way like Irving is thinking I'm gonna be the man when this guys grows old why is he dictating everything on the franchise? I mean the Rockets paying bobby brown is already a big sacrifice but in Lebron's case the cavs gave his homies jobs and then they pay tristan thompson the max when he clearly is not good enough. I guess Griffin was the straw that broke the camel's back according to espn Irving and griffin were close so him being fired maybe made Irving feel like this org doesn't value him. But the cavs are really inept they are nothing without Lebron. If Irving wanted out why didn't they contact the clippers and trade for cp3? Then the Cavs can just trade Melo for Love and have the bananaboat roster in Cleveland.
No it can't how does that even work Cavs give up Irving but don't get Melo and end up with Anderson wtf
I'm very curious if Kyrie's handlers will release a statement on the matter and how they will spin it.
Cleveland should trade Kryie to the Lakers for Lonzo to block LeBron from going there next year. Something like Kyrie and Frye for Lonzo and Deng.
Lebron is going. He told Kyrie to sort himself out first, making it out to be some big brother advice. In reality, Lebron is mad at Gilbert and wants to crush him and this is him exerting his power. The way the snippets came out saying Lebron was blindsided and will let the Cavs dictate Kyrie negotiations - it reads like a PR statement written by Lebron's people. Pretty obvious to me that's what's going on - and fair enough to Kyrie, and good on him for listing the Spurs as one of his destinations, one of the only places that can develop an iso-only PG into a more complete player.
I think some of you guys overrate Irving, or at least underrate what it means playing with Lebron...Irving is a terrific talent, but when he was the franchise player of his team the Cavs drowned in the lottery, not even close to making the playoffs in a pathetic East similar to the one we have today...and he was still playing with prime Deng, Varejao, Jack, CJ miles, Waiters, Thompson...meanwhile Harden was making the playoffs in the West in his first year as a franchise player playing with Asik, Delfino, Parsons, Beverley, Lin, Garcia...just saying...
Timberwolves would make the west even more of a war zone and The East a two team race . .. instead of a one team race I think if you have to pick between Lebron and Kyrie . . .. it is 10 times out of 10 LeBron Even at 33. Honestly - In leaving Cleveland Kyrie becomes an also ran I doubt he will every make it to the finals again . . not unless he finds another big three Him J-Butler and who ever is not it. Kyrie is a great one on one player but . . . .. this is not a league where one can do it on his own Not even LeBron . . and Kyrie is no Lebron At best Kyrie is Curry . . .. at his peak that is. . . . Rocket River
Smart move by Kyrie, Get out before this collapses on your head. Cleveland can't compete against the Warriors and just making it to the Finals doesn't outweigh playing with LeBron
Nobody is comparing him to harden though. And tbh those list of players in clev isn't impressive at all haha. A 20 yr old+ isn't doing anything with those guys. that Irving is a lot different then the current one
Someone did compare them pages ago, and yes, that list of players he had in Cleveland wasn't great (Houston roster wasn't much better though, Deng > Parsons...Varejao = Asik...Jack > Lin), but for that absolutely pathetic East (with like 5/6 teams tanking including Boston) should've been enough to make the playoffs and they didn't. Maybe he's a different player now, but he's still an heavy iso pg with not great court vision and poor defense, he's not a player who makes the other guys around him better like Harden or Lebron. I still love his talent, but i would never build a team around him tbh.
Lebron is either mentoring Kyrie to go his own way (Gilbert drama) or he is running Kyrie out of town (lol ensued).
