GTR11 wrote:This is why you need franchise player like Curry, LBJ, Giannis etc who not only exceptional talent but the leader of the man.
KD is great player, but he's a second fiddle guy. He will never win chip as a lead guy. He never did, he never will.
Kyrie is Kyrie. Any team he's been on either imploded or underachieved. Combination of both happened in Boston and here. Only player that was able to hold him in check for one damn year is washed up and cares about life outside the NBA now.
Ben... the jury is still up on him. I just don't believe in him at all. He is more talented version of Dray who's not as good of a leader.
Tell me which coach or GM can handle this clowns? Pop's? That ain't happening. Ime? He got issues himself. Who...?
I thought that there were great observations and analysis in this thread. I don't always subscribe to the more nebulous interpretations based on general player appearances, but to each his own. I think you seem to be faulting the three players, who probably were somewhat less than their optimum, but had the least to do with this loss.
I will attribute much of this, and it will seem arrogant to question someone with the basketball pedigree of Charles Barkley, to what I believe is his stupid bus driver analogy. How can that be said of the person who won two finals MVP's competing on the same floor with and against players like Steph, Klay, Draymond, LeBron, and Kyrie. Add to that his FIBA Gold Medal MVP and three other medals. Ask Popovich or Kerr about his leadership. Steph, Draymond, and Klay have also already spoken to this. In spite of his excellence, IMHO, compared to KD, Charles would be sweeping out the bus after the ride.
Our starting lineup had 77 points compared to the Philly starters' 68 points. They were only out-rebounded by three. Kyrie was the leading back-court scorer. He was second only to Harris, and shot 56%, after a long layoff. KD shot 64% but should have ISO'd more when playing with the subs. Our bench went 7 for 23 (even with Curry's 5 for 12), 30%, with only six rebounds. The Philly bench went 16 for 30, 53%, with 21 rebounds. (I omitted the "garbage time" subs.)
I will exempt no one from the horrible defense or rebounding. Although I think the latter is a problem of team structure. And I am not a hater, so I will not assign blame for loss of this game. I will reiterate, though, that KD, Kyrie, and Ben are, in my opinion, the least of our problems.