Author Topic: Criticism of Kyrie  (Read 3500 times)

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Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #30 on: December 13, 2018, 11:12:45 AM »

Online Donoghus

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Seems like Kyrie is being put in a "[dang] if you do, [dang] if you don't" spot with some posters. 

Yes, he played some hero ball last night, but guess what?  The team needed it & they won!  It worked. 

Now, obviously, you don't want to see hero ball on a night in/night out basis but it was a necessary evil last night & succeeded.  On the other side of the coin, if someone hadn't had taken over last night and the team lost, they'd be cries about the team's inability to close things out in a tight game and the need for "someone to step up" in crunch time.  :P


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Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #31 on: December 13, 2018, 11:15:15 AM »

Offline Surferdad

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I agree that Kyrie is occasionally prone to hero ball, but I don't think either of those final three-pointers qualify.

For the first one, he got the ball back with time running down on the shot clock and had to make something out of nothing with Wall draped all over him. Got off the best shot he could in that circumstance.

The second one (the deep three) is more of a stretch, but I don't think that's that low a percentage shot for him. It's deep, but it's a clear look with Wall several feet away with his hands down.  If you consider that a 33% shot for Kyrie, which is a 50% eFG shot, that's not bad in end-of-game, tense situations. When you consider how short-handed the team was yesterday and the fact that Kyrie had it going, then I can live with it.

Earlier in the year when the Celtics were struggling offensively in the beginning or middle of games, I saw him try and shoot the team out of their funk single-handedly. That, I think, was a problem, because it wasn't sustainable. But that's different from what we witnessed in OT last night.
What's more, Wall looked away 2-3 times expecting the pick to come.  On the 2nd (3rd?) time, Kyrie launched it with space.  He said in the post-game it was a good percentage shot for him.   ;D

Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #32 on: December 13, 2018, 11:18:45 AM »

Offline KGs Knee

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Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #33 on: December 13, 2018, 11:19:46 AM »

Offline PhoSita

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Shooters gonna shoot their shots.

Kyrie is an assassin, one of the best in the league.

That's why he's on the team.
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Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #34 on: December 13, 2018, 11:41:06 AM »

Online SHAQATTACK

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nobody is perfect or Larry Bird ...LOL

he is the best we got and dang lucky to have him.......read Heat , Knick , Lakers fans comments , most would sell their souls to have him .   A talent like Kyrie is a treasure not often found , enjoy him to the max while he is here.   

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be patient wiH his leadership skills .....he is having to learn HOW to be THE big cheese and represent the team .   Basically before he was always in Lebrons shawdow , second lieutenant in Lebrons army . His leadership role was very minor ....Bron spoke for his team , his coach and even GM.   new role s now for Kyrie to learn.
« Last Edit: December 13, 2018, 11:47:35 AM by SHAQATTACK »

Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #35 on: December 13, 2018, 11:50:12 AM »

Online hpantazo

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I understand peoples point of view for being fine with his shot selection.
He is an alpha, and a elite scorer. That said we constantly say how deep this team is, do we really need him running out the clock, taking circus shots/layups and shots 5 feet behind the arc in crunch time when we have legitimately 2-3 other legitimate scoring options on the floor at any giving time?


Last night this team was not deep at all though. No Horford, no Hayward, no Jaylen, Baynes was at 50% due to his ankle, and Theis had fouled out. We were relying on a rookie center and Semi for large parts of the game, and Morris carried the offensive load most of the night. Kyrie’s options were limited down the stretch, he did what any team leader should do in that situation

We are very fortunate to have a player of his caliber in his prime

Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #36 on: December 13, 2018, 12:08:46 PM »

Online rocknrollforyoursoul

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I'm not a big fan of hero ball, but a team will not win titles (at least in today's NBA) without having at least one guy who can play hero ball, because sometimes hero ball is necessary. I'm not sure it was necessary last night, but I trust Kyrie to make the right decision in those situations 9 out of 10 times. IT was the same way, and most of the time he went "hero mode" at the right time.
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Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #37 on: December 13, 2018, 12:32:44 PM »

Offline indeedproceed

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Here's my criticism of Kyrie: I think he's still figuring out how to be a leader, and sometimes he hits the wrong notes with teammates, or sometimes teammates don't respond the way he wants them to, and he seems to only have one way of dealing with that and it involves him getting buckets.

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Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #38 on: December 13, 2018, 12:35:11 PM »

Offline Rosco917

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 I could have had something to do with the injuries and sickness we were suffering. Maybe he simply felt that he was the best option considering these factors.

He is not perfect, nobody is.

Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #39 on: December 13, 2018, 12:37:45 PM »

Offline DefenseWinsChamps

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Here's my criticism of Kyrie: I think he's still figuring out how to be a leader, and sometimes he hits the wrong notes with teammates, or sometimes teammates don't respond the way he wants them to, and he seems to only have one way of dealing with that and it involves him getting buckets.

I've not heard one teammate or ex-teammate (other than Dion Waiters, who has his own issues) say something bad about him. He's one of the most respected players and personalities in the NBA. I'm really not sure where that narrative came from, but I can seem to find any basis in reality.

Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #40 on: December 13, 2018, 12:50:24 PM »

Offline Big333223

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At 111-110 with the clock winding down, Kyrie got all the way to the rim and dropped it off to Tatum for an easy dunk. If the Celtics could rebound a free throw, that would've been, basically, the end of the game.

But that's not how it happened. And that's the problem with "if things had been different then things would be different" kinds of criticism like "if he hadn't made those shots we would be killing him for taking them." That might be true but it didn't happen. I'm not going to criticize a guy who typically makes the right choice with the ball for making shots.
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Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #41 on: December 13, 2018, 12:57:18 PM »

Offline indeedproceed

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Here's my criticism of Kyrie: I think he's still figuring out how to be a leader, and sometimes he hits the wrong notes with teammates, or sometimes teammates don't respond the way he wants them to, and he seems to only have one way of dealing with that and it involves him getting buckets.

I've not heard one teammate or ex-teammate (other than Dion Waiters, who has his own issues) say something bad about him. He's one of the most respected players and personalities in the NBA. I'm really not sure where that narrative came from, but I can seem to find any basis in reality.

I'm basing on watching the games and body language of players when Kyrie tries to communicate a point. Most times it hits, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes he looks like he feels like doing it himself is his only recourse.

Here's an article that touches on it:

https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/12/kyrie-irving-still-growing-as-a-leader/

Here's another one:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2018/12/12/kyrie-irving-embracing-leadership-role-with-celtics/K5gNDc2R1WwwiqD3eatNqK/story.html

Here's a third:

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2018/12/boston_celtics_kyrie_irving_assuming_leadership_role.html

This is another one:

https://heavy.com/sports/2018/12/kyrie-irving-grown-obsessed-with-becoming-leader/

Becoming a leader is one if his biggest goals, and it's clearly something he's still figuring out. That doesn't mean he's bad at it all the time, it's just a work in progress.

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like that is always lethal." - Evan 'The God' Turner

Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #42 on: December 13, 2018, 12:58:40 PM »

Offline indeedproceed

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At 111-110 with the clock winding down, Kyrie got all the way to the rim and dropped it off to Tatum for an easy dunk. If the Celtics could rebound a free throw, that would've been, basically, the end of the game. 

Yeah that was tough. If Baynes doesn't put himself out of position trying for the weird bounce, Beal doesn't have a clear path to the hoop. If Rozier is faster helping, Beal doesn't get the board. If, if, if...

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like that is always lethal." - Evan 'The God' Turner

Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #43 on: December 13, 2018, 01:11:39 PM »

Offline blink

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Honestly I am surprised that this thread is 3 pages long.  DA and Brad brought Kyrie in for just this exact purpose.  Be the man who is unstoppable on offense.  It didn't seem like hero ball to me last night.  Kyrie fed Tatum for the dunk on the play that should have won the game.  One of the crazy threes was against a winding down shot clock.

I just don't get it.  Kyrie basically wins the game for us and the next day we get a thread titled "Criticism of Kyrie".  Then people start complaining (wrongly) about Kyrie's defense on Wall.  Look our whole team couldn't stop Wall.  Smart couldn't stop him either. 

After so many years here I shouldn't be surprised, but I still am.




Re: Criticism of Kyrie
« Reply #44 on: December 13, 2018, 01:20:50 PM »

Online RJ87

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Honestly I am surprised that this thread is 3 pages long.  DA and Brad brought Kyrie in for just this exact purpose.  Be the man who is unstoppable on offense.  It didn't seem like hero ball to me last night.  Kyrie fed Tatum for the dunk on the play that should have won the game.  One of the crazy threes was against a winding down shot clock.

I just don't get it.  Kyrie basically wins the game for us and the next day we get a thread titled "Criticism of Kyrie".  Then people start complaining (wrongly) about Kyrie's defense on Wall.  Look our whole team couldn't stop Wall.  Smart couldn't stop him either. 

After so many years here I shouldn't be surprised, but I still am.

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