Box Score: Raptors 96, Cavaliers 88
March 13, 2012
While We’re Waiting… Crickets chirp in Berea, revisiting ‘The OKC model’ and Kyrie’s Kryptonite
March 14, 2012
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“I think I’ll hit the ‘rookie wall’ when I stop shooting and attacking the basket. The whole ‘rookie wall’ thing is a myth and I haven’t hit it yet. It’s tough, especially these last two games, and I’ve struggled with my shot a little bit. I’ve just got to get it back. The confidence is still there, but it’s the last thing on my mind.”
– Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving following the team’s 96-88 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Irving shot 5-of-17 from the floor (14 points) marking his third straight atypical shooting night.
[ Related: From Post-season Hopes to Ping-Pong Balls in Two Short Weeks]
9 Comments
Good for him, to have such confidence but retain a notion of level-headedness which I think is the earmark of a strong, disciplined and intelligent coach. If we had only had Byron here with LBJ was here, he may have been a different player.
This is true… every player goes through slumps. LBJ certainly had nights where he shot poorly. In fact he had one last night and the game before that (particularly from the free throw line). It’s good to see that Kyrie isn’t rattled by this, and I agree that Byron Scott seems to be the perfect coach for him. I think I agree with you about LBJ with Byron, but I could also see how Byron wouldn’t put up with LBJ’s “kingly” attitude, particularly with respect to his buddies and their access to the team and facilities. I wonder if they wouldn’t have clashed.
Good call, I am sure they would have clashed. I think Scott is a winner, though; he knows how to win a championship (with the Lakers, as a player) and he may have been the perfect coach for a young LBJ, too. Its tantalizing to think about; his “kingly” disposition could have been nipped in the bud years ago and he could have been strikingly different. Its a nice thing to think about.
They undoubtedly would have clashed to an extent, but I think Byron Scott would have had the testicular fortitude to stand his ground, something MB was seemingly unwilling or unable to do. What could have been…
But…remember Paul Silas. Wasn’t it said he “stood up” to LBJ?
I actually met him once, and I asked why he was let go. He laughed and said “creative differences.” Maybe there was more truth to that than his joking tone indicated.
It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case. The entire organization seemed to approach LeBron like a guy who finds himself dating an impossibly attractive woman. No one wanted to say or do anything to upset him, or he might leave. So top down they served as doormats for a teenager. Thank godness that didn’t backfire.
Kyrie: “Pressure to hit game-winning shots is a myth.”
Kyrie: “Problems shooting free throws is a myth.”
Kyrie: “Gravity is a myth.”
Dude is turning into a b-ball version of a Chuck Norris joke.
Well said.
and…..