Looks like Riley agrees with the arguments I made previously in this thread about getting a lottery pick this year:
Not getting combative - just wondering what stats you're using to say they were equal this year? I'm looking through WS, VORP, TS%, etc.
Already Mike Greenberg was discussing whether Kyrie is the best "playoff" teammate LeBron has ever had. After one game. Most media people, and most people in general are prisoners of the moment. Everything is either the best or worst thing ever with absolutely no perspective. Kyrie should at least get through this post-season before somebody compares him to Wade the first two years of the Big 3. And Kyrie has a long, long way to go to equal or exceed Wade's career in general. Kyrie played great yesterday. Let's leave it at that for now.
Lol. Dwyane Wade has been to the playoffs almost every year he's been in the league. He won a Championship essentially on his own. He also carried the Heat in some playoff series even when LeBron was here. He's arguably the 3rd best SG in NBA history. Kyrie has played in one playoff game. Give me a break.
Gosh, u so mad. Kyrie is 23, and he doesn't have a "ways to go" at all?? His career won't be defined by jaded Heat fans who want to keep comparing him to a Hall of Fame Veteran for some dumb reason. I'm just snickering at the folks who always think they are right, who wanted to argue Kyrie isn't a top 5 PG in the NBA. They look so silly now.
Nothing wrong with those last two. He's not the finest of those fanbases as far as intelligence goes though
Pretty sure what Mike Greenberg said had nothing to do with Sections rush to dismiss something Kyrie did well
Pels played great for 45 minutes. Gotta learn how to play in the playoffs. Theyre young. Hopefully will take their lumps and learn.
Rumor is our there that Aldridge will consider leaving Portland. I'm putting The Lakers as the favorite there. Dallas can't dump Dirk. If Duncan retires the Spurs will be in the mix as well. I don't think Phil looks seriously at him for the Knicks after what the Knicks just went through with Stoudemire (although completely different players, I think Phil will look at younger bigs). I'd love to get one of the two big RFA SG Jimmy Butler or Kawhi Leonard. I'd offer a big time poison pill contract to see if I could make that happen.
Aldridge is such a gamble with the injury history. Leonard, and to a lesser extent Butler to the Knicks would be very interesting. I don't think either of those guys are the types to take over a franchise and be THE GUY (although Leonard certainly did against the Heat last year). But they might actually be really good fits with Anthony. If you add some more smaller parts, that could be a playoff team in the East. I would still probably target Gasol 1st, though. He may be older than those two, but he's just so damn good at a position where there aren't many good players. I had never really payed enough attention to him until this year when I have finally been able to appreciate just how good of a player he is. I hate the Knicks and so much of me loves seeing them continue to flounder, but the league is just more fun when they're at least competitive. Same with the Lakers. I'd like to see both of those teams turn it around somewhat (not too much).
Pretty much no way SA lets Kawhi go. Butler...maybe? Chicago is so weird with money. Who was the last RFA that left? Seems like teams almost always match.
PER, and the rest of their boxscore stats. and if we look at Defense...you know...Half of the game....It is not even CLOSE. Wade has been, and STILL IS a better player than Kyrie Irving. If he wasn't, I would tell you. For example, James Harden has never been a better player than Dwyane Wade, till THIS YEAR, when his offense went to another stratosphere, and that overtook him. Harden's defense also DRASTICALLY improved.
IT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH what Greenberg said. I didn't dismiss anything. I dismiss the Wade comparisons. he had a GREAT game...you want them to put up a Banner at the Q that says "Kyrie Irving 30 pt. game in Game 1, round 1 vs. Celtics, 2015."
Pretty sure you're wrong on this and you are misunderstanding why it became an issue in the first place. Hint: Greenberg said on air that Kyrie is the best playoff teammate LeBron has ever had. That's why this started.
Kyrie has a better PER, higher PPG, DefRtg and significantly better eFG%, TS%, WS/48, and NetRtg. Kyrie isn't a great defender...but Wade isn't exactly lighting up that end of the court anymore. I think Wade is the best player Lebron ever played with - but he's not better or even as good as Kyrie right now.
Kyrie's PER is only 0.13 higher and his PPG are only 0.2 higher, that's pretty much a wash, and considering the Heat's struggles as a team and the Cavs success, it's not hard to fathom how the efficiency stats might be in favor of Kyrie. All Sec is saying is that everyone lauding Kyrie, with reason IMO, and he just had a very similar season to Wade's perhaps worse season since being a rookie. I don't think there was any disrespect intended for Kyrie. Everyone can see his star is rising. Frankly the stat that most amazes me about Wade this year is his usage rate. 2nd highest usage rate in the league behind Westbrook. Don't know if that's impressive when focusing on Wade, or sad when focusing on the team.
I might buy that argument if Kyrie hadn't put up essentially the same PER as his 1st two years in the league. I do agree with the wash part of that statement though.
You're wrong, but it's okay to be wrong. If you know how Def./Net Rtg works, it's irrelevant to a defensive comparison. and YES..Wade is STILL "lighting up" that end of the court. Wade is STILL a great defender. Kyrie can't spell Defense. BTW, you are touting Higher "Per" and "ppg" when they are higher by like .2 and .2. Come on. One guy plays with Lebron James in a 1-4 Princeton, the other had to play with 10 day contracts and constant double teams. Kyrie benefited from the same increase in efficiency that Wade got with lebron the last 2 years.
I am sick of this constant disrespect of Dwyane Wade. Notice how it always emanates from the North East and ****ing Cleveland? Kyrie ****ing Irving Now? How bout JR Smith? He's better than Wade too. Shumpert as well.
I simply am questioning WHY you want to compare a 23yr old budding star to Dwayne Wade?? What is your agenda behind this? Cant they both be good? Can Kyrie not get appluaded for having a great game without the Wade BS? Why?
BS. The constant dismissal of Kyrie's ability around here has been going on long before Mike Greenberg's comments. This is personal with SOME Heat fans rather that means you or not.
