"KD is present, he's involved, he's engaged, the other guy talks about being engaged" - Seth Greenberg touts Kyrie Irving as being all talk, doubts his commitment
ESPN's Seth Greenberg spoke about how Kyrie Irving spends more time talking about what needs to be done than actually contributing to his team. He believes Irving is a no-show when it comes to pivotal moments, stating:
"Here's the most important thing Kyrie, be present, be engaged with your team, actually show up more than twenty-one times during the course of the season, be accountable, be responsible, try to lead.
"Look, Kyrie being Kyrie, Kyrie is always gonna say something that's gonna get you to react to him and bring attention to him and putting him in the same conversation as KD, come on now, KD is present, he's involved, he's engaged, the other guy talks about being engaged."
The Boston Celtics swept Irving and the Brooklyn Nets in the first-round. Game 4 on Monday concluded the Nets' season after they lost 112-116. Jayson Tatum scored 29 points, while Marcus Smart added 20 points and 11 assists.
Kevin Durant broke out of his scoring slump, scoring 39 points, but made only 13 of his 31 field-goal attempts.
After the sweep, Kyrie Irving spoke in a post-game press-conference about the Nets' leadership and roles. He stated:
"When I say I'm here with Kev (Kevin Durant), I think that it really entails us, you know managing this franchise together alongside Joe (Joseph C. Tsai) and Sean (Marks)."
Irving averaged 21.3 points per game and shot 44.4% from the field in the series. Kyrie also shot a respectable 38.1% from beyond the arc. However, he only attempted 5.3 three-point attempts per game, 2.9 fewer than he averaged during the regular season.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant could be back with the Brooklyn Nets next season, but would they be contenders?
Once bitten, twice shy. The Brooklyn Nets entered the season as championship favorites, with odds of +225. They ended the regular season as the seventh-seed in the Eastern Conference and their only postseason victory came in the play-in.
Despite their abysmal regular-season, the Brooklyn Nets were touted as championship contenders. Even after dropping their first two games against Boston, some believed a comeback was likely.
Irving spent the season at the center of numerous controversies, and Kevin Durant struggled mightily against the Celtics. The Nets have a lot of firepower, but perhaps they are merely loose cannons.