Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="auror, post: 2230351, member: 1329"] He definitely steps it up when it matters. Regular season a few years ago, he was not the best. But he uses his length very well in the playoffs, especially the last 2 years. Agreed 100%. There's definitely a broader analytics debate that Kyrie embodies. What's the value of creating your own shot and winning 1 on 1 vs. team pace and space basketball? Does it become more important in the playoffs when guys are "trying harder" (sub-question, are guys really more motivated and "locked in" during the playoffs?) There's a backlash against iso-ball because post-MJ players who weren't good enough at it were overdoing it, and teams would often defer to their franchise guy in key moments to their own detriment. But this game has always been, and will always be, about buckets. I don't agree with this. They've got two Avery Bradleys on the roster (JR Smith and Iman Shumpert). I understand that specifically against Golden State he's in a difficult spot because of Durant, but against literally every other team he's a big plus. His spacing and shooting destroyed Boston. His DREB% was 30% (and his outlets ignited their fast break), and he had a 60% TS% overall in the playoffs. He was still 6th in playoff win shares. I don't think it's a coincidence that the game in the Finals he shot well from 3, they won. Nailed it. [/QUOTE]