Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[SleepingHero]

Doncic/Irving were on a 28 win pace together.

Since leaving Cleveland Kyrie has played with

2018: Kyrie/Brown/Tatum/Hayward/Horford
2019: Kyrie/Brown/Tatum/Hayward/Horford
2020: Kyrie/Dinwiddie/Prince/Durant/Allen
2021: Kyrie/Harden/Dinwiddie/Durant/Jordan
2022:Kyrie/Curry/Simmons/Durant/Claxton
2023: Kyrie/Doncic/THJ/Kleber/Powell

Closest these teams got to win a championship was winning one game in the 2nd round. 

What evidence is there that Kyrie wins you basketball games? His teams have the same record without him as they do with him, since he left Cleveland. His teams have underperformed every year compared to expectations.

Arrogance.

Evidence: 2016 NBA championship in which Kyrie hit the go-ahead clutch 3 to seal the win. He averaged 25 a game on 47.5/44/87.5 shooting (Finals alone he averaged 27 a game on 47/40/94). His playoff averages: 23ppg on 45/40/90. 

In the regular season prior to joining the Mavs, Kyrie's teams have averaged: 49.9 wins a season (60% win pace). 

There is the evidence.

As to why this team didn't perform after the trade, one suggesting the blame should be placed on the Kyrie+Luka duo lends to believe that they didn't actually watch the games. 

In fact, it was Kyrie+Luka being the only ones keeping us alive in the latter half of the season despite everyone else's inclinations to lose. The lack of defense and rebounding sealed this team's fate, and was only amplified after the trade. To suggest that the duo is inherently flawed and ignore the reasons why the team lost games that were out of control of the duo is folly. 

Finally, curse you for making me defend Kyrie. Cause I really don't like the dude. But he is without a doubt the best player Luka has ever played with, and offensively the two are historical together. The team last year after the trade wasn't anywhere close to being good enough defensively to mask the flaws of Luka+Kyrie. That's why literally all the discussion since April has been adding a rebounder and defensive wings.