What Happened To Kyrie

[RedBlackAttack]

Some of it is because of the offseason hype for the Cavs, no? Their failing goes on the presumed leader and best player.

That's not some of it... it's 90% of it. The other 10% is his scoring efficiency being down, but his assist/turnover ratio is better than it ever has been. Statistically, he's had a fine season so far. The problem is people were expecting wins this year, rightly or wrongly.

[Project018]

What Happened To Kyrie

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Mike Brown and his offense

[Meticode]

yup. not Kyrie's fault. Even though you can put Chris Paul out there with me coaching the team would look just fine running almost ANY offense. Btw...lebron looked fine out there running the offense.

I will concede one point, I haven't been able to watch much basketball this year so I'm not familiar with what Mike Brown has them running.

It just doesn't make any sense to me. I don't know him and the team isn't caring or they're partying too much or what. Everything that happened during the off-season pointed to us having at least better season than the previous. They hired MIke Brown, which I didn't like, but we were pretty much last defensively under Byron Scott and this needed to be looked at, Irving got ripped and into the best shape of his life, Waiters got in shape during hte off-season, Varejao got healthy, Thompson improved a couple aspects to his game, namely facing up at the basket and his free-throw shooting.

The only thing that's happened is we're 2 wins better than last season so far, Irving is having a worse season statistically speaking, Waiters is having the exact same type of statistically season, Thompson has leveled off and hasn't shown much improve and disappears in games at times.

Now you got rift in locker-rooms and Brown seemingly not controlling his team.

[RedBlackAttack]

yup. not Kyrie's fault. Even though you can put Chris Paul out there with me coaching the team would look just fine running almost ANY offense. Btw...lebron looked fine out there running the offense.

I will concede one point, I haven't been able to watch much basketball this year so I'm not familiar with what Mike Brown has them running.

Anyone who has watched the Cavs this year knows it is a team problem. It goes way beyond one player.

And, Kyrie is not CP3. I always thought that was a dumb comparison. Their games are completely different. Kyrie is a natural scorer and CP3 is a natural playmaker.

[Embers]

An absurd stat

278 shots within 8ft
223 3 point attempts

The discrepancy is absurd for a player who IMO strength should be coming in driving to the bucket and getting to the foul line

4.7 FTA is also a absurd stat. He should be looking to get to the line 10-12 times a game for mine given the wheels he has on the dribble

I think Cleveland need to shift Dion Waiters/CJ Miles and get in a stronger passing guard next to him. Target Lance Stephenson in FA I think.

For today though Irving needs to cut the 3 pointers down, get to the bucket and get to the fricken foul line. It will help the rest of his game too.

[Meticode]

An absurd stat

278 shots within 8ft
223 3 point attempts

The discrepancy is absurd for a player who IMO strength should be coming in driving to the bucket and getting to the foul line

4.7 FTA is also a absurd stat. He should be looking to get to the line 10-12 times a game for mine given the wheels he has on the dribble

I think Cleveland need to shift Dion Waiters/CJ Miles and get in a stronger passing guard next to him. Target Lance Stephenson in FA I think.

For today though Irving needs to cut the 3 pointers down, get to the bucket and get to the fricking foul line. It will help the rest of his game too.

This is questionable because when he goes to the bucket he always falls to the floor and doesn't get a call more times than not. And he's below-average to average at finishing around the rim as well statically. So many times this season I see him pass up a open jumper 16-20 feet out only to drive into the teeth of the defense and throw a prayer up.

HIs decision making has not been good this season.

[outbreak]

I think part of it is just being fed up with the situation, if you've got guys like waiters who are rumoured to have been in trouble for shot selection yet don't get reprimanded and other players not putting in at all you'd eventually get fed up to the point where you may think "why should I put my body on the line trying to drive when I can half ass it and jack up a three?"

[FatComputerNerd]

This is questionable because when he goes to the bucket he always falls to the floor and doesn't get a call more times than not. And he's below-average to average at finishing around the rim as well statically. So many times this season I see him pass up a open jumper 16-20 feet out only to drive into the teeth of the defense and throw a prayer up.

HIs decision making has not been good this season.

Stats aren't everything. Up until all this BS started he was looking like one of the best finishers in the game with crazy Jordanesque layups and whatnot on the regular...while also shooting lights out from everywhere on the floor.

I do think opposing defenses have adjusted too though, and tend to collapse on him more than they used to. That could be another potential factor.

[RedBlackAttack]

An absurd stat

278 shots within 8ft
223 3 point attempts

The discrepancy is absurd for a player who IMO strength should be coming in driving to the bucket and getting to the foul line

4.7 FTA is also a absurd stat. He should be looking to get to the line 10-12 times a game for mine given the wheels he has on the dribble

I think Cleveland need to shift Dion Waiters/CJ Miles and get in a stronger passing guard next to him. Target Lance Stephenson in FA I think.

For today though Irving needs to cut the 3 pointers down, get to the bucket and get to the fricken foul line. It will help the rest of his game too.

This has A LOT to do with the Cavs poor spacing. A stretch 4 who could step out and hit a 17-footer consistently would do wonders for Irving/Waiters. For now, our bigs create a logjam around the rim which has proven very difficult to navigate for our guards. From this point of view, the Bennett pick made some sense. His skillset would be vital to the team's floor spacing if he provided what was expected.

It also hurts that we have no real knockdown shooter in the backcourt. Teams just sit on the drive and say beat us from the perimeter.

[BlackVVaves]

Statistically, he's been regressing in a pretty critical area for a point guard - FG% - every year. Despite this, he continues to go 1 on 5 in many instances throughout the game. I don't know if his individualist attitude permeated through the team, or if the selfish nature of the team cultivated his own gunslinging tendencies, but whatever it is, it's crippling the Cavs to an embarrassing extent.

The Cavs front office has illustrated severe incompetence (in hindsight for some, but not all) in regards to the talent they scouted and acquired. From Earl Clark to Anthony Bennet, nearly all their acquisitions this past off-season, in a year they were seeking to make the jump from lottery fodder to playoff team, were strike outs. As a result, the culture in that locker room and organization is muffled, the team (after half of a season) has no identity, and the Cavs are stuck in their shit.

It's truly a shame to see, the season had so much promise. That Anthony Bennett pick is going to haunt that franchise, it's hard to miss so badly on a pick and not feel the implications soonthereafter. The Pistons were able to build a championship caliber team in a fleeting manner, but it only took a few seasons for their misstep in choosing Darko over Melo or Wade or Bosh to rear it's head. And, their spiral hasn't ended since.

[Embers]

This has A LOT to do with the Cavs poor spacing. A stretch 4 who could step out and hit a 17-footer consistently would do wonders for Irving/Waiters. For now, our bigs create a logjam around the rim which has proven very difficult to navigate for our guards. From this point of view, the Bennett pick made some sense. His skillset would be vital to the team's floor spacing if he provided what was expected.

It also hurts that we have no real knockdown shooter in the backcourt. Teams just sit on the drive and say beat us from the perimeter.

Said all season that Tristan Thompson isnt a starter and is a huge problem for the Cavs. IMO he is also one who has to go

[IGOTGAME]

Anyone who has watched the Cavs this year knows it is a team problem. It goes way beyond one player.

And, Kyrie is not CP3. I always thought that was a dumb comparison. Their games are completely different. Kyrie is a natural scorer and CP3 is a natural playmaker.

I never addressed any of the Cavs problems as a team. I simply stayed on task and addressed the OP, which was about Kyrie.

The use of CP3's name was only to show that there are other point guards(several) who can run a team no matter who the coach is...If it is dumb to point out that Kyrie isn't a good playmaker, which is a significant part of his responsibilities as a basketball player than proceed to call me "dumb."

Btw...you were spewing a very different tune when Kyrie was a rookie in regard to his playmaking potential.

[KyrieTheFuture]

Statistically, he's been regressing in a pretty critical area for a point guard - FG% - every year. Despite this, he continues to go 1 on 5 in many instances throughout the game. I don't know if his individualist attitude permeated through the team, or if the selfish nature of the team cultivated his own gunslinging tendencies, but whatever it is, it's crippling the Cavs to an embarrassing extent.

The Cavs front office has illustrated severe incompetence (in hindsight for some, but not all) in regards to the talent they scouted and acquired. From Earl Clark to Anthony Bennet, nearly all their acquisitions this past off-season, in a year they were seeking to make the jump from lottery fodder to playoff team, were strike outs. As a result, the culture in that locker room and organization is muffled, the team (after half of a season) has no identity, and the Cavs are stuck in their shit.

It's truly a shame to see, the season had so much promise. That Anthony Bennett pick is going to haunt that franchise, it's hard to miss so badly on a pick and not feel the implications soonthereafter. The Pistons were able to build a championship caliber team in a fleeting manner, but it only took a few seasons for their misstep in choosing Darko over Melo or Wade or Bosh to rear it's head. And, their spiral hasn't ended since.

Who exactly should we have drafted over Bennet?

[PleezeBelieve]

Yea, passing on Oladipo, Porter, and McLemore will haunt this team for many years

*sarcasm off*

[FireDavidKahn]

He is the Kevin Love of PG's.