12-31-2023, 11:55 AM
(12-31-2023, 11:04 AM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: Kyrie is many things but as a Mav he has been on his best behaviour and seems to be beloved by his teammates. There is a noticable different when it comes to the locker room vibes compared to last season. Not exactly what you would expect after the addition of a "total cancer".
He is injury-prone but his most recent injury was more of a freak accident. Things like that happen.
It's fair to point out that compared to previous seasons his on court production hasn't been as good. Worst scoring volume+efficiency since 16/17. He started the season ice cold from three. Followed by a stretch of games where his inbetween game was off. His midrange percentages are way below his career averages. We haven't seen the best version of Kyrie this season.
That said. He is still easily the best 2nd option the Mavs had since Luka entered the league.
Overall I wasn't a fan of the trade. Still think that they made a desperation move and that waiting for a better fitting piece would have been the better option. For the remaining Luka/Kyrie days the Mavs will have to find ways to balance out their defensive short comings. Looking at the current roster that makes it nearly impossible to pair them with players like THJ or Hardy.
The recent stretch without Kyrie really showed how much better the defense can be if Luka is paired with better athlets like Exum or DJJ.
I wouldn't oppose a deal that sends out Kyrie for a better two-way player but due to his age and off court history his on court value greatly exceeds his trade value. Making it nearly impossible to find a replacement that isn't a big talent downgrade.
Just to get an opinion. Rumors are linking the Lakers to Dejounte Murray. Would anyone be willing to give up Kyrie and a minor asset to get involved in a Murray trade. Reunite Kyrie and LeBron in LA. Land Murray and hope that he can be an even better version of Exum.
I think you have to do that. He is a better fit, both defensively and timeline. He cost 3 firsts not long ago. If we can turn one first, Dorian plus a minor asset to land him, it would be a big win. Kyrie is the better player, but given age and contracts, it would probably take more than a minor asset to make that happen.