Kyrie is TWO years from his prime!!

[The One]

Kevin O'Connor is spitting truth in this article.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/10/13/16467270/kyrie-irving-boston-celtics-great-point-guard-debate


Kyrie will be as good as Steph...book it!

"Kyrie-diculous" vs Chef Curry...can't wait...bring it!!

[droopdog7]

Yeah, been saying for a while that Kyrie could be in prime form for another seven years!  And yeah, he has Steph level skills and can definitely become an MVP candidate (as early as this year).

People will look back at the arguments about the trade in a few years and laugh.

[Roy H.]

I think Kyrie was an early bloomer, so I'm not sure that we'll see a huge jump physically. People talk about a Steph Curry leap, which I just don't think is fair to expect.

Moreso, I'm hoping that good coaching and an offense built to play to his strengths will help Kyrie improve in incremental ways.

[droopdog7]

I think Kyrie was an early bloomer, so I'm not sure that we'll see a huge jump physically. People talk about a Steph Curry leap, which I just don't think is fair to expect.

Moreso, I'm hoping that good coaching and an offense built to play to his strengths will help Kyrie improve in incremental ways.

Frankly, the analogy is more to Harden than anyone else.  Kyrie doesn't need to get better offensively.  The skills are already there.  Getting out from under Lebron will make all the difference.

[manl_lui]

"Point guards need time to mature more than any other position in the NBA."

I know this is a Kyrie article but this also applies to Smart, I still have very high hopes for him and hope he has a breakout season this year

[gift]

I think Kyrie was an early bloomer, so I'm not sure that we'll see a huge jump physically. People talk about a Steph Curry leap, which I just don't think is fair to expect.

Moreso, I'm hoping that good coaching and an offense built to play to his strengths will help Kyrie improve in incremental ways.

Frankly, the analogy is more to Harden than anyone else.  Kyrie doesn't need to get better offensively.  The skills are already there.  Getting out from under Lebron will make all the difference.

Very good point. Harden has up and down years, but his skills have been mostly the same for the last four or so years. Situations and opportunities have dictated his level of effectiveness and effort.

Situation and opportunity is exactly what is changing in the Kyrie equation. So the Harden comparison makes more sense.

[gift]

"Point guards need time to mature more than any other position in the NBA."

I know this is a Kyrie article but this also applies to Smart, I still have very high hopes for him and hope he has a breakout season this year

I actually think this year will be a bit of a learning year for Marcus. I do think he'll be better, but he'll also be learning what he's capable of at his current skill level/physical state. He hasn't played at his current weight since he was a much lesser player. I actually expect, if he maintains his conditioning and health, that Marcus will have even better years the next couple of years after this one.

[seancally]

"Point guards need time to mature more than any other position in the NBA."

I know this is a Kyrie article but this also applies to Smart, I still have very high hopes for him and hope he has a breakout season this year

I actually think this year will be a bit of a learning year for Marcus. I do think he'll be better, but he'll also be learning what he's capable of at his current skill level/physical state. He hasn't played at his current weight since he was a much lesser player. I actually expect, if he maintains his conditioning and health, that Marcus will have even better years the next couple of years after this one.

I would hope so! The guy is entering his fourth year in the league... we're so used to him playing with physical maturity beyond most young players, it's easy to forget how young he still is. I would expect Smart to continue to improve year over year for at least a few more.

[mobilija]

Too bad point guards don't win **** in this league...

What? Are u still in the 80s or 90s?

Maybe it's sarcasm... idk

[Spilling Green Dye]

This was a great article that honestly makes me feel even better about the deal.  The thing that stood out to me is the age gap between the current best PG's in the league and the next batch... Kyrie almost stands alone in the middle.  This definitely bodes well for our 2019 and beyond years. 

[jambr380]

"Point guards need time to mature more than any other position in the NBA."

I know this is a Kyrie article but this also applies to Smart, I still have very high hopes for him and hope he has a breakout season this year

I personally hope that Marcus has a breakout season NEXT year...after he has signed a very reasonable Andre Roberson-type long-term contract.

If he does break out, then I hope he goes all-out and not just half-way. The salary cap will matter in the future.

[green_bballers13]

"Point guards need time to mature more than any other position in the NBA."

I know this is a Kyrie article but this also applies to Smart, I still have very high hopes for him and hope he has a breakout season this year

I personally hope that Marcus has a breakout season NEXT year...after he has signed a very reasonable Andre Roberson-type long-term contract.

If he does break out, then I hope he goes all-out and not just half-way. The salary cap will matter in the future.

I'm with you. I love Marcus at $15m per year. I'm not sure I love our sixth man at $22m.

[slightly biased bias fan]

I personally love the Kyrie and Hayward additions not just for their all star level talent but that neither of their games are predicated on sheer athleticism or physicality...both will age very well even after their primes are past.

[SparzWizard]

Yeah, been saying for a while that Kyrie could be in prime form for another seven years!  And yeah, he has Steph level skills and can definitely become an MVP candidate (as early as this year).

People will look back at the arguments about the trade in a few years and laugh.

Now losing IT4 is nothing to me. But if that BKN 2018 come out to be a stud, then it could be baaaad.

[guava_wrench]

I think Kyrie was an early bloomer, so I'm not sure that we'll see a huge jump physically. People talk about a Steph Curry leap, which I just don't think is fair to expect.

Moreso, I'm hoping that good coaching and an offense built to play to his strengths will help Kyrie improve in incremental ways.

Frankly, the analogy is more to Harden than anyone else.  Kyrie doesn't need to get better offensively.  The skills are already there.  Getting out from under Lebron will make all the difference.

Very good point. Harden has up and down years, but his skills have been mostly the same for the last four or so years. Situations and opportunities have dictated his level of effectiveness and effort.

Situation and opportunity is exactly what is changing in the Kyrie equation. So the Harden comparison makes more sense.

It is easy to claim a players skills were the same or that they weren't.

Let's not bother arguing that. Instead, let's just look at effectiveness. As the article points out and as we can see in stats, pretty much all the top PGs right now had their best years at over 25 years of age.

25 is the normal peak season for a typical NBA player, but it doesn't seem to be the case for current top PGs outside of Chris Paul.