Is Kyrie Irving bad on defense because of physical limitations or effort?
Kyrie Irving is a great offensive weapon for his team. But when it comes to doing his work on the defense he can be a liability. Perhaps a lot of lack of defense comes from his scoring choices.
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Kyrie Irving is one of the most skilled players that the basketball world has ever seen. The never seen street game-like handles, the ambidextrous finishes at the basket, everything he does, appears another world-like. But the Brooklyn Nets star’s defensive skills are something that has always drawn eye-rolling criticisms from the fans and coaches. The question arises, as to whether Irving is just bad on defense or his style of play has something to do with his defense.
Whether it’s his 6.2 height or his inability to defend a good offensive player is rather a question to dig in. When it comes to transition defense, Kyrie’s poor defense can be logically assessed. He is the kind of player who can be found around the basket, and when the offense is rolling for his team. Once the ball is ripped off of him or the basket is missed, he becomes a liability on the defense. He can not run back and form the fifth defensive wall for his team.
So far into the 2022-23 season, Irving has played 30 games for the Nets and he has a total of only 23 steals. He averages 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game for his team. His numbers are one of the lowest among the superstars who get over 30 minutes in the game on the floor. On an overage, he also causes 0.34 turnovers for his opponents per game. A lot cannot be expected from a player of Kyrie’s height in the paint, but he certainly has to improve on his half-court defense.
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Does Kyrie Irving’s style of play affect his defense on the floor?
Historically seen Irving is one of those players in the league who has very few limitations or faults in his game. However, basketball is all about all 5 players on the floor, and maintaining the balance between offense and defense becomes crucial. His sleek moves, euro steps, and cutting defenders can take a lot of his energy around the opponent’s basket. He is a great shooter, but most of his finishes are in the paint area.
The kind of offensive player the Nets star also contributes to the reason for his poor defense. On any team he has been in his career, he has been the primary ball-handler. Despite having the legs and speed of a great defensive player. However, Uncle Drew leaves the task of stealing and stripping the ball from opponents to his teammates. His lack of effort on the defense contributes to the extra task that his men have to take care of, especially in playoff games.
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