"Kyrie lacks the intangibles, whether it’s just his philosophies and beliefs that get in the way of basketball" - Chris Broussard says Kyrie Irving hasn’t shown that he’s a great leader
Kyrie Irving had an incredible 60-point game in his last outing for the Brooklyn Nets and has sparked several debates in the NBA community. The mercurial point guard is one of the most skilled player in league history, with Antoine Walker further saying that the Brooklyn Nets star is the greatest scoring point guard of all time.
Uncle Drew can break down the opposition and score the basket in several ways but has barely gone on scoring bursts at any point in his career. The seven-time All-Star is currently averaging 27.7 points, the highest tally in his 11-year career.
Sports analyst Chris Broussard got together with Rob Parker on The Odd Couple podcast to comment on Walker's stance, and Broussard could not disagree more. While he recognizes Irving's brilliance and contribution to the game, he believes there are better scoring point guards, past and present.
"I think Kyrie lacks the intangibles, whether it's just his philosophies and beliefs that get in the way of basketball or whatever. But he hasn't shown that he can be a great leader. He's a strong personality. To me, he's the strongest personality on the Nets but I don't think he's shown that he's a great leader," claimed Broussard.
Broussard went on to mention a few point guards, who he believes are better scorers than Kyrie.
"No. 1 is Steph (Curry). People do Steph a disservice when they say he's only a great shooter. Steph can finish, he has mid-range," he said.
Philadelphia 76ers Allen Iverson is another point guard Broussard believes is a better scorer than the current Nets guard. Nonetheless, Kyrie Irving's impact in games is unquestionable.
Kyrie Irving will play in only three of the Brooklyn Nets' last 12 games
Irving is still a part-time player and is only eligible to play road games for the Nets due to New York City's vaccination mandate. That means he can only feature in three of the Nets' last 12 games to close out the season barring a change to the city's vaccine mandate.
As things stand, the Nets will likely finish in the play-in spot and will need to play extra games for the seventh or eighth seed. Despite coming into the season as championship favorites and starting hot, they fell off after losing Kevin Durant due to a knee injury for an extended period.
Although the Nets have one of the most lethal offenses in the league, their chances of winning the championship are slim, especially because Irving will not be available all of the time. Even during the playoffs, he will not be available to play home games, making their campaign a lot more challenging.
Regardless, the Nets can count on Irvig to produce when he is on the floor. He has been sensational in the 19 games he has played in so far, relieving Durant of some of the scoring burden.