Do you disagree with the majority? If so, why? If you think Irving is better, why? Make your case. Don't just disagree to disagree, add a little substance to the discussion. BNM
It's true to say that Lillard showed up just like any other game when it was game 4 in the last playoffs... down 0-3, he still played his heart out. There's a lot that can be said for that.
Very similar players who do it in different ways. Dame has the better speed/strength combo (allows him to get fouled more often) while Kyrie has more handle and craft both around the rim and in the mid range which gives him the edge in creation situations vs. elite defenders imo. Both are below average defenders but Kyrie giving maximum effort is a notch ahead of what Dame's best gives you, but the difference is negligible. What moves Dame slightly ahead for me is his growth curve and leadership ability. Dame has gotten better every year while Kyrie's game just hasn't evolved much since his rookie year besides taking better care of the ball. Maybe you can attribute some of that to playing with LeBron but nonetheless, I trust Dame's "want to" more than Kyrie's.
https://www.basketball-reference.co...Kyrie Irving&player_id2=irvinky01&idx=players I think they are basically the same guy. Poor defenders, good scorers, decent distributors. Given that Kyrie was a key part of the Cavs beating the Warriors two years ago, that's a notch for him, but having LeBron next to you was pretty important. Bottom line: if you polled a bunch of general NBA people you'd probably get a 60/40 split for Kyrie, but the gulf is more like a fissure; not enough to matter.
Actually, if you polled general nba fans, It would most likely be 80/20. Or 80/10/10, with the 10 being "Who? I don't know anyone but steph curry and Kevin Durant."
They are so similar. Both complete garbage defenders. Dame better deep shooter. Irving better handles. Irving offensive repertoire is slightly better. Dame has better intangibles. Lillard wins cause he plays for the Blazers
I'm not going to pretend to guess what GMs would do. Of course, I'm not a GM, but given how similar they are, if I was, I'd much rather have the guy who is committed to his team than the guy who is tired of playing with the best player on the planet and going to the finals every year. That may sound like hyperbole, but it's based on the facts. Dame has put up comparable numbers being the #1 option on a Western Conference playoff team while Kyrie has put up his numbers in the East with LeBron drawing a LOT of defensive attention. Lillard is a proven #1 option. Kyrie is not. BNM
Kyrie does some shit with the rock that I've never seen before. But: A. He's hurt all the time B. He won't embrace Portland like Lillard.
I think they are very similar, but one of them hit a title winning shot in a game 7 on the road. Edge Kyrie (and i love dame)
Scoring: Kyrie Handles: Kyrie Clutch: Edge Kyrie Decision Making: Kyrie Shooting: Dame Leadership: Dame Distribution: Dame Durability: Dame Defense: Wash Answer: Depends
Dame hit the shot that created a generation of butthurt Houston fans. No, it's not the same importance, but only because Lillard didn't get to shoot it in the Finals. I don't think Irving has a greater "clutch gene."
