OT- Kemba Kyrie?

[AntG168]

I love Kemba. But Kyrie is better only because he’s proven he can produce on the biggest stage. He closed that Cavs championship. Give me that guy as my number 2.

 

[HuskyFich]

I love Kemba, much more than Kyrie (and I'm a Celtics fan).

But can we stop with this. Kyrie Irving is a superior player to Kemba Walker.

Kyrie works as a 2nd or 3rd guy on a championship team. Not the main guy. Doesn't mean Kemba is better. With all due respect, Kemba hasn't won squat in the league. But that doesn't mean Kemba can't also be a 2nd or 3rd guy on a championship team.

This exactly.

The media is going to pay more attention to a guy that hit a game 7 finals winner over Steph Curry in the biggest finals upset in recent history, don’t ya think?

Kemba is a god amongst men. But in a popularity contest, isn’t even close.

He could be equal to or better than Kyrie, but that won’t even be a conversation until Kemba can do something(qualifying for starters) in the playoffs.

 

[upstater]

Mad Dog thinks the same thing and I agree with you both:

Q: What are your hopes and fears for the Knicks in free agency?
A: I wouldn’t touch Kyrie (Irving) right now. I think Kyrie is poison. If you are talking about Irving and a draft pick then I’d prefer Kemba Walker. He’s the perfect No. 2 man. Now if Durant comes and Irving comes with him that’s a little different. But Kyrie and a Knicks draft pick would scare the hell out of me. I don’t think he is a leader of a franchise. I know the Knicks would do it because they are desperate, but I think it’s a mistake.


Chris Russo talks Francesa-Kay battle, new deal and Kyrie Irving

What does the draft pick have to do with it?

I thought Irving was a free agent.

 

[UofCT]

I don’t know what you are trying to infer but if you don’t think Durant is the best player in the world right now your smoking some good stuff.
Doesn’t mean the warriors can’t win without him they have the second best player in the world on that team too

Usually if you lose the best player in the world your team does not improve.

 

[the Q]

Cool. That doesn't address any of my post.

You said he’s not as good as he used to be. He’s barely been in Boston...so when was this?

 

[superjohn]

You said he’s not as good as he used to be. He’s barely been in Boston...so when was this?

No I didn't, read again...

What makes him so much superior to Kemba? They are both scoring points who can go off like crazy. They assist and rebound the exact same, they both have killer handles/crossovers, they both are all world finishing in the lane. Kyrie shoots it at a little better clip, Kemba turns it over a little less. Kyrie used to be better but at this stage I don't really see anything that separates them.

The only difference I see is Kyrie has played with an absurd amount of talent while Kemba has played with probably less talent than any great player in the league.

 

[the Q]

No I didn't, read again...

Ah, you meant kyrie used to be better than kemba. Right?

 

[QDOG5]

If Kevin Durant was so good how come the Warriors play better without him.....

Not true. Ask yourself this, if the KD less Warriors played the Warriors with Durant which team would you pick to win?

 

[superjohn]

Ah, you meant kyrie used to be better than kemba. Right?

Yes. I think Kemba has caught up to him in the last couple of years.

 

[the Q]

Yes. I think Kemba has caught up to him in the last couple of years.

Yes. Fair.

 

[Kenny11]

Kyrie has more talent than Kemba and is a better shooter but its not a huge difference. Kemba is a much better leader and teammate and that isn't uconn bias...that is known in the nba.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Chris Broussard made a great point the other day, wondering if we would think of Kyrie as an A-list superstar if LeBron never came to Cleveland.

On paper and to the eye, Kyrie is simply better. Best handles in the game, best small finisher in the game, great shooter. But Kemba may not be as far off as many seem to think

 

[tzznandrew]

Don't think the Warriors ever really needed Durant but I think they probably will against the Bucks.

They'll get to the Finals without him, but they won't win without Durant.

 

[the Q]

He's awesome but the Warriors have always gone as Curry goes. Durant is a good passer but the ball moves a lot better when it's in Curry's hands and Curry, Klay, and Green all just play better without him. Warriors win 90% of their games without Durant, they win 60% of their games without Steph.

Don't think the Warriors ever really needed Durant but I think they probably will against the Bucks.

Funny that if Barnes doesn’t miss 45 wide open 3s then Durant probably doesn’t come there.

He still might’ve left Russ though.

 

[the Q]

Chris Broussard made a great point the other day, wondering if we would think of Kyrie as an A-list superstar if LeBron never came to Cleveland.

On paper and to the eye, Kyrie is simply better. Best handles in the game, best small finisher in the game, great shooter. But Kemba may not be as far off as many seem to think

Probably not because

1) they were awful with him.

2) they drafted horrible after him (waiters, Bennett, Wiggins were the 3 picks after he was drafted and bron signed).

3) I’m. Not sure they make the post season at any point without bron (obvious but I expect CLE, like Minnesota, would’ve ignorantly maxed out Wiggins despite zero evidence he was worth such a deal).

4) no brad stevens to make him better

I’m not saying he wouldn’t have been in reality. But look at how the perception changed after that finals. He’s been far better in Boston than he ever was in CLE. Yet his reputation was that he was already what he became in Boston.

 

[BleedHuskyBlu]

Usually if you lose the best player in the world your team does not improve.

They are not better without him you can’t seriously believe that

 

[AndOne]

Love Kemba. But let's pump the brakes until he wins one playoff game first before putting him up there with the best players.

 

[UConn Esq]

But Is Kyrie that much better than Kemba?

IMHO, Yes Kyrie is that much better. But, Kemba plays so much harder on a nightly basis and has a bigger heart. Sometimes that can make up for being less talented, sometimes it cant. Kyrie probably never hits his ceiling - he doesn't have the drive to get there, while Kemba has done everything he could to reach his and its still not Kyrie, albeit its still a really high level. If you go all-in on Kemba you at least know that every single minute he plays is going to be at 100%. That will be true until he dies. Kyrie is an all-time handles guy and finishes at the rim with the best of them... which is all the more frustrating when Kyrie decides to do his best Bran from Game of Thrones impression and just "i'm going to go now" standing in the corner motionless watching the game.

 

[McLovin]

I think the real question should be: Do you guys think it would be better for Kemba's legacy to stay with Charlotte and always be remember as the "greatest Hornet of all time" (with limited / no postseason success) or is it better for his legacy to join a "super team" as the #3 guy but win a few titles in the process?

 

[SubInATub]

I think the real question should be: Do you guys think it would be better for Kemba's legacy to stay with Charlotte and always be remember as the "greatest Hornet of all time" (with limited / no postseason success) or is it better for his legacy to join a "super team" as the #3 guy but win a few titles in the process?

Option #2. He will still be remembered as the greatest Hornet of all time if he leaves this summer.

 

[UofCT]

Not true. Ask yourself this, if the KD less Warriors played the Warriors with Durant which team would you pick to win?

I'll take the team that won 73 games

 

[UofCT]

They are not better without him you can’t seriously believe that

73 win season without him
4-0 in playoffs without him
7-3 in playoffs with him

I'm just looking at numbers here.

 

[navery12]

73 win season without him
4-0 in playoffs without him
7-3 in playoffs with him

I'm just looking at numbers here.

There's no way you really believe this

 

[UofCT]

There's no way you really believe this

I convinced myself after Warriors beat the Rockets that Durant makes them worse. Warriors play better without him.

 

[Kenny11]

I convinced myself after Warriors beat the Rockets that Durant makes them worse. Warriors play better without him.

Warriors are better/harder to beat with Durant.

They are more fun to watch without him.