Player A - Player B point guard comparision

[action781]

Both players are starting point guards:

Player A - 42.3 fg%, 88.1 ft% (4.5/5.1 per game), 40.8 3pt% (2.9/7.1 per game), 3.6 rpg, 5.8 apg, 0.7 spg, 2.3 topg, 20.9 ppg in 36.2 mpg

Player B - 42.6 fg%, 85.3 ft% (4.1/4.8 per game), 35.1 3pt%(1.7/4.9 per game) 3.1 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.3 spg, 2.7 topg, 21.3 ppg in 35.1 mpg

Very similar players in almost all aspects.  The only really significant difference is a 5.7% difference in 3pt percentage.  Yet one of these players is getting a lot of positive hype this year and one of them is getting a lot of criticism.

Player A is Damian Lillard, Player B is Kyrie Irving.  A lot of the positivity in Lillard comes from his improvement and his team winning.  A lot of the negativity around Kyrie comes from his lack of improvement and his team losing.  The winning/losing thing has a lot to do with the supporting casts around the players. 

As for the improvement/lack of it... I'm starting to think this is a bit of an unfair criticism on Kyrie.  He entered the league and put up extremely high numbers, especially in terms of efficiency... especially for a rookie... especially for a rookie point guard.  To expect those numbers to stay at those levels or improve would be to ask a lot.  His %'s are still decent at the moment compared to the pool of starting point guards in the NBA.

The last issue with Kyrie is maturity.  Even though he has 1 more year of NBA experience under him, Kyrie is still 2 years younger than Lillard.  The regression certainly has to be concerning to the Cavs, but at age 21 I think there is plenty of time for him to figure things out.

[pearljammer10]

I take Lilliard over Kyrie.

[indeedproceed]

That 5% difference at greater volume from 3 is a pretty big deal. Changes TS%, which is a much better mark of scoring efficiency. Irving's 55.3% TS mark last year and 56.6% TS mark from his rookie year are both a lot better. The third year is the year players are supposed to 'get it', and Kyrie hasn't 'got it' this year.

That said, like you I think there is plenty of time for him to figure it out. If anything, the real pressure is on the Cavs.

[action781]

That 5% difference at greater volume from 3 is a pretty big deal. Changes TS%, which is a much better mark of scoring efficiency. Irving's 55.3% TS mark last year and 56.6% TS mark from his rookie year are both a lot better. The third year is the year players are supposed to 'get it', and Kyrie hasn't 'got it' this year.

That said, like you I think there is plenty of time for him to figure it out. If anything, the real pressure is on the Cavs.

Yeah, the 5% is a big difference (note that I stated it to be a significant difference).  Although I'm wondering about the sustainability of Lillard's current 3 point percentage.  Keeping up a 40% rate from deep at the volume that Lillard is currently shooting at will put him in the conversation of all time great 3 point shooters, which I don't buy into.  3 point percentage can vary from year to year.  Carmelo is shooting 41.9% this season while he is a career 34% shooter.

If Lillard's rate dips down to the 36% he shot last year (still the mark of a good shooter), suddenly he is probably a small step below Kyrie's production this year (which is Kyrie's worst season yet).

[Boris Badenov]

Some of this might have to do with the fact that the Cavs' defense is 7 points worse with Irving on the floor, and the Blazers' defense is 1 point better with Lillard on the floor.

[action781]

So this all came upon me while I was pondering a fantasy basketball trade in a keeper league...

My team is no longer in the running to make the playoffs this year.  I can keep Kyrie for one more season at $8 and I was pondering trading him for Damian Lillard for two more seasons at $14 and $16.  (The cap is $250 and that caliber player would generally go for somewhere in the $45-$55 range)

I think I'll hold on to Kyrie.  The second year on Lillard intrigues me, but I generally draft new keepable players in the draft every year, so it can be replaced.