This is the first game of the year and Horford locking up Embiid there might be the best thing I see all season.
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Jordan Mychal Lemos
@crypticjordan
Do this today: Instead of $%*#!@& on a game you're not going to play or movie you're not going to watch, say something good about a piece of media you're excited about.
Do the same thing tomorrow. And the next. Now do it forever.
You’re saying those two are better every other game. That’s just not remotely the case.
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No, I didn’t. Neither of them will ever be close to the level of player he is. What I’m saying is that the Boston Celtics do not perform worse as a team with/without Kyrie being on the floor.
This is what I’m saying. Spoiler for those who don’t care, but typing it out so at least the idea of what I’m saying isn’t misunderstood completely as it seems to be.
Spoiler
It has nothing to do with how good Kyrie is by himself. Or how much better he is than Rozier. Or how good the other 29 teams in the league would be with him vs Rozier. It’s only about how good the Boston Celtics are as a team.
I think last year they were like 3 points per game worse offensively, but 2 points per game better defensively when he went down. Another year of improvement from Rozier, Tatum, Brown, and having Hayward back and they likely aren’t any worse offensively and more than 2 points better defensively.
Kyrie’s estimated on court TEAM impact, his RPM, ranks 14th out of all point guards. Rozier was 19th in his first season of any substantial minutes. Horford was higher, rookie Tatum higher, Brown, Rozier, Smart not too far behind him. Gordon Hayward ranks ahead of him in the past 3 seasons that they were both healthy.
RPM wins added he’s 15th for point guards, Rozier 19th, Smart 25th, again Horford and Tatum ahead of him, Jaylen Brown less than a point behind him, Hayward ahead of him every year they are both healthy.
This is a revolving theme with Kyrie that was apparent in Cleveland as well, anything that factors his usage and he’s going to rank out among the best. Anything that shows how the team is going to play due to his ability and he’s pretty average. This isn’t much different than Pau Gasol ranking above Kobe on a lot of metrics like this. Biggest difference is Kobe was a good defender, drew double teams, could play off the ball.
Also comparable to when the Bad Boy Pistons were so great, and Adrian Dantley was a great player who could lead them in scoring every season.. yet the trade they made of Dantley for Aguirre instantly made them champions after years of falling short.. why, Aguirre made more plays that helped the team as a whole play better.
It’s plain as day to me. You can just see the energy the team plays with when it’s Rozier or Smart. The hustle plays, the grit, the ball movement. They could never replicate Kyrie scoring the way he does, but the other 4 guys on the floor benefit from it. I think they especially will with Hayward back and Tatum continuing his growth. Kyrie is a better player, he’s the more valuable player. But not every team has Horford, Tatum, Brown, Hayward, Rozier, Smart, Morris, Baynes. They are the deepest team on the league with a chance to IMO replicate what the Spurs have just done for 20 seasons.. they can’t do that if paying Kyrie makes them lose 2-3 of these guys.
Look at it this way. Steph and Kyrie are both considering top 5 guards, top 10 or so players, top MVP candidates. Difference is Steph ranks top 5 in the league in those rpm and rpm wins metrics. If you swapped the two, despite the talent gap being arguably minimal, Boston is likely an instant NBA title favorite. Why? Steph pushes the tempo when it’s there, he makes the quick extra pass, he moves off ball and makes you chase and switch off screens, he advances the ball when someone is up ahead, he chases rebounds, he consistently plays hard defense, Steph makes plays that make the other 4 guys on the floor better, stuff that rarely shows in a box score but is easily noticed with team impact.
This isn’t necessarily a diss at Kyrie, but more so a praise to the rest of the Celtics and coaching staff. They have built one of the best teams in the league, with talent deeper than anyone but GS and an opportunity to add even more to that this off season. I’m not saying it’s necessarily a choice to choose Kyrie/Rozier, or that Kyrie is expendable because of Rozier.. I’m just saying that Boston as a whole is the best team in the East with Kyrie, and they are the best team in the East without him. Obviously keeping him over Rozier is a no brainer, that’s not or never has been my argument. My argument is paying him max long term money now better not cause them to lose Tatum, or Brown, or both, or lose their whole bench, or lose Horford. Kyrie is a great player, but he’s not as valuable to THIS TEAM as keeping that core together for 10+ years is.
Here's a hot take. Talking to someone who i play 2K with and he thinks Tatum will average 22+ PPG on 50+% FG, Am i the only one that think it's impossible with Kyrie playing+ teams focusing on him more after the rookie season he had? Plus SF's not named LeBron or KD hardly ever clear 50% FG.
Here's a hot take. Talking to someone who i play 2K with and he thinks Tatum will average 22+ PPG on 50+% FG, Am i the only one that think it's impossible with Kyrie playing+ teams focusing on him more after the rookie season he had? Plus SF's not named LeBron or KD hardly ever clear 50% FG.
Wait what was that last part about KD and LeBron clearing 50%.
"I think he better read a newspaper or something" - Robert Horry
10-16-2018, 10:16 PM
