5 things Kyrie Irving could have done better in Game 1 loss to Boston Celtics
Dallas Mavericks All-Star guard Kyrie Irving struggled in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics on Thursday. The Mavs lost 107-89 to go a game down in the best-of-seven series.
The 32-year-old former top overall pick played 37 minutes in the series opener but was, by and large, muted. He was not able to employ certain facets of his game, which usually would have helped propel his team toward success.
Below are five things Kyrie Irving could have done better in the Game 1 loss to the Celtics:
Five things Kyrie Irving should improve on after Game 1 loss
#5 Better handles and fluidity
Known for his splendid ball handling and fluid motion that post problems to defenders, Irving was not able to showcase much of the same in Game 1, and it affected his effectivenes throughout the game.
There were many instances when he would lose the ball on his own and his footing when making moves, which greatly disrupted his rhythm and explosiveness to create shot opportunities not only for himself but also his teammates.
Whether it was the Celtics defense causing him to do that, he has to find ways to get back to his old self to help his squad.
#4 Facilitating
Facilitating is also something Kyrie Irving has to be better at following the Game 1 loss. In 37 minutes, Irving only had two assists, down from his playoff average of 5.2 dimes.
The team as whole struggled in ball distribution, accounting for only nine assists for the entire game as opposed to Boston, which had 23, which surely didn't help their cause.
#3 Agressiveness
The aggressiveness Kyrie Irving has shown for much of the playoffs was lacking in the series opener. While he had his moments of brilliance, one could sense that he was a step slow on both ends and was not able to impose himself as usual.
One way of gauging his lack of aggressiveness was that Irving attempted zero free throws in 37 minutes in Game 1. In the playoffs, he goes to the charity stripe four times and has been good for 82.8%.
#2 Defense
While not necessarily known as a lockdown defender, Irving struggled on the defensive end along with his entire team, which saw them buried deep in the opening half and from which they couldn't recover.
In Dallas' playoff run, Irving has complemented his steady offense with added verve to his defensive game, which made him a double threat to the LA Clippers. OKC Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In Game 1, that was not present, as he was seemingly lost in the defensive rotation against Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and, at times, Jaylen Brown.
#1 Offense
Dallas didn't have enough offense to keep in step with the explosive Boston team, no thanks to Kyrie Irving going 6-of-19 from the field and 0-of-5 from deep to finish with just 12 points.
His output is 11 points below his average in the postseason, and the Mavericks surely felt it, especially as only Luka Doncic (30 points) had it going, setting the team further aback.
More telling, most of the shots Irving missed were ones he usually makes, making one think, "What gives?"