Kyrie Eleison: an apologist's POV on a polarizing future (Nets?) legend
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2019 8:32 pm
First, let me say this: I KNOW THAT KYRIE IRVING IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE BROOKLYN NETS yet.
Starting a thread on him might be deemed heresy or a jinx, but I'm going there anyway. After all, if he's engaged enough to call into a Boston radio station, perhaps he's watching our board, as well????
Seriously, though, I just wanted to get your thoughts on the dude. As a basketball player, Irving is my favorite to watch in the league right now. It's not just style over substance, either; he's as efficient as he is dazzling at shot-creation. Shammgod, Eurostep, fakes, floaters, step-backs, even an emerging post game; he's got all the tools. I mean, he's not lying when says he's a basketball genius, even though I'd offer some goals for rounding out his game. He's already a future first-ballot HoF-er IMO, and with Kenny's instruction, I think he'll become a 33/8/6 MVP candidate.
As a leader, he has a reputation not unlike our PG emeritus and my favorite all-time player Jason Kidd: petulant weirdo, coach killer, distant with teammates. I think that Ason (I still lovingly call him that) had the advantage as a PG with generational court vision, because that endeared him to his fellow players even when his personality didn't ingratiate himself. Irving plays the same position, but in a shoot-first, -second and -third kinda way. This style could widen the gap that a brooding personality creates when you're playing a team sport.
The interesting and revealing part of the man I've learned over the past few weeks is as a fan. I always knew he grew up in NJ, but I didn't know how enamored he was with the Nets. He seems genuinely psyched about coming here, which is like a dream come true. Perhaps the unsettled, Flat-Earth, defiant, shoulda-taken-more-shots version of KI was just an outgrowth of his desire to go to a destination of his choosing in free agency, the team of his heart? What if WE are that destination? What if WE are that team? He'd make for a terrible poker player if this were the case, but perhaps it portends a turnaround in his attitude in a new environment???
I understand that many Nets faithful are Team D'Angelo, but I refuse to look at this as a binary, either-or equation. I think they could be scary-good together! I'm sure some will make this conversation about Russell's potential absence due to Kyrie's presence, and sure, I could a scenario where it simply wouldn't work to have both PG's and another max FA. I'd rather focus on simply what getting Kyrie would mean to you. FIRE AWAY!
Starting a thread on him might be deemed heresy or a jinx, but I'm going there anyway. After all, if he's engaged enough to call into a Boston radio station, perhaps he's watching our board, as well????
Seriously, though, I just wanted to get your thoughts on the dude. As a basketball player, Irving is my favorite to watch in the league right now. It's not just style over substance, either; he's as efficient as he is dazzling at shot-creation. Shammgod, Eurostep, fakes, floaters, step-backs, even an emerging post game; he's got all the tools. I mean, he's not lying when says he's a basketball genius, even though I'd offer some goals for rounding out his game. He's already a future first-ballot HoF-er IMO, and with Kenny's instruction, I think he'll become a 33/8/6 MVP candidate.
As a leader, he has a reputation not unlike our PG emeritus and my favorite all-time player Jason Kidd: petulant weirdo, coach killer, distant with teammates. I think that Ason (I still lovingly call him that) had the advantage as a PG with generational court vision, because that endeared him to his fellow players even when his personality didn't ingratiate himself. Irving plays the same position, but in a shoot-first, -second and -third kinda way. This style could widen the gap that a brooding personality creates when you're playing a team sport.
The interesting and revealing part of the man I've learned over the past few weeks is as a fan. I always knew he grew up in NJ, but I didn't know how enamored he was with the Nets. He seems genuinely psyched about coming here, which is like a dream come true. Perhaps the unsettled, Flat-Earth, defiant, shoulda-taken-more-shots version of KI was just an outgrowth of his desire to go to a destination of his choosing in free agency, the team of his heart? What if WE are that destination? What if WE are that team? He'd make for a terrible poker player if this were the case, but perhaps it portends a turnaround in his attitude in a new environment???
I understand that many Nets faithful are Team D'Angelo, but I refuse to look at this as a binary, either-or equation. I think they could be scary-good together! I'm sure some will make this conversation about Russell's potential absence due to Kyrie's presence, and sure, I could a scenario where it simply wouldn't work to have both PG's and another max FA. I'd rather focus on simply what getting Kyrie would mean to you. FIRE AWAY!