Author Topic: Wow. I didn't realize Kyrie Irving was incredible.  (Read 11042 times)

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Re: Wow. I didn't realize Kyrie Irving was incredible.
« Reply #45 on: February 19, 2013, 01:21:05 AM »

Offline Celtics18

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Amazing is the crop of young PGs in this league. CP, DW, Ricky Rubio, Rondo, Rose, Irving, Jennings, Westbrook.  Incredible.

There is a part of me that wonders if the dynamic of having a defensive stopper at PG like AB might be worth more in this era than ever.  If Avery develops his overall game, it will be interesting to see how the C's can use him and Rondo as PG/backup or 1/2 tandem to impact the flow of games against the leagues great PGs.

Very interesting point.  There really are no other defensive stoppers like him at the PG position in the league.

Could be like a Bruce Bowen with a better offensive game.  Or a Ron Artest who doesn't fight fans.

Yeah.  I really look forward to seeing the defensive tandem of Bradley and Rondo in the backcourt together for a full season in the near future.  I think they will be able to do some real damage.  Scary for the opposition; fun to watch for Celtics fans.

Meh, I'm not a real fan of Rondo's matador defense during the regular season.  I prefer a AB-Lee defensive backcourt.

No way.  Rondo's an elite off the ball defender in the backcourt, one of the best I've ever seen.  Pair him up with Bradley's on the ball pressure, and those two will wreak havoc.

People seem to forget that Rajon Rondo was known primarily for his defensive disruptiveness for his first three or four years in the league.  Early in his career, folks were saying that his ceiling was as a defensive specialist.  Now that he's an offensive superstar as well, the next step will be to put the two together consistently. 

If his knee fully recovers, I have no doubt that he'll be able to accomplish that feat.  Then he may truly become an MVP candidate.

I think they COULD wreak havoc.  But I was responding to someone who mentioned seeing it for a full season.  Judging by what we've seen from Rondo the past two seasons, there is nothing that leads me to think that Rondo would play great defense for a full regular season.  He plays matador defense gambling for steals and particularly back-tips.

In the playoffs, I'd like to see what they can do though as Rondo would step his game up.

But also, if you want Rondo off the ball, that means he's guarding SGs.  Not something he's used to and he's obviously giving up some height doing so.  I think taller SGs like Joe Johnson, Kobe, Paul George,... would give him a lot of difficulty.  Also, guards who run off a lot of screens would be tough for him to guard too as he's shown that's not one of his strong points.

Rondo has spent a lot of time guarding two guards over the course of his career, and he's actually shown the ability to be very good guarding bigger guys who try to post him up.  He's very crafty and uses his body well to get guys off-balance.  And, you'd mix it up, depending on match ups. 

Take Indiana, for example.  They start George Hill at the point with George and Lance Stephenson on the wings.  I would have Bradley put pressure on Hill, put Rondo on the weakest offense player--Stephenson--to make him most effective off the ball, and put the small forward--either Pierce or Green--on Paul George. 

Against Brooklyn, I might even put Rondo on Gerald Wallace and have Green guarding Johnson for significant stretches with Bradley against Williams. 

We've never actually seen a Rondo/Bradley backcourt play together for a full season.  I'm not saying that going with that small backcourt doesn't have it's risks, but, I really want to see it.  They've shown it in stretches, but I think that over an extended period of time, they could be really nasty. 
DKC Seventy-Sixers:

PG: G. Hill/D. Schroder
SG: C. Lee/B. Hield/T. Luwawu
SF:  Giannis/J. Lamb/M. Kuzminskas
PF:  E. Ilyasova/J. Jerebko/R. Christmas
C:    N. Vucevic/K. Olynyk/E. Davis/C. Jefferson

Re: Wow. I didn't realize Kyrie Irving was incredible.
« Reply #46 on: February 19, 2013, 07:48:47 PM »

Offline TripleOT

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If I were starting an NBA team today, Irving would be one of the top 3 players I'd want (LeBron, Durant).