Kyrie Irving has earned the right to play hero for Nets, even in the form of an ill-advised 30-footer

5 seconds to play, Net One point behind Miami, Kyrie Irving at first glance looks like a potential game-winning 30-footer, if not reckless.

But consider the context. Kevin Durant wasn’t on the court after being sidelined in the third quarter with a knee injury. Much of what the Nets do offensively is based on Durant demanding multiple defenders, even as a jump shooter, and Irving being able to feast one-on-one, especially against rotation defenses.

But without Durant, it was Irving who was surrounded by multiple defenders on Sunday.of heat I threw everything at him and kept the ball out of my hands while balancing the game. it was working. The Nets were completely out of sync trying to put Irving out of the equation on offense and committed turnovers on their previous two possessions with less than a minute to play.

So Irving decided to make sure Miami had a chance to win the game before they took the ball away again. Anticipating a double team, he just got up and launched off the logo. It came off right, but Royce O’Neill came up with a loose rebound and put in a shot that would ultimately prove the winner for Brooklyn in a 102-101 win.

Again, Irving’s shot is a pretty terrible decision in a vacuum. The Nets didn’t need a 3-pointer. Not to mention the 30 footer. If you want to know the technical stuff, it’s probably a little too early. We often hear that superstars “play right” at the end of the game. In other words, don’t force your own offense when multiple defenders are closing in, instead doing exactly what the defense wants by passing to someone else. .

Seth Curry had a great fourth quarter on Sunday, but he wasn’t on the floor for the final possession. There were still multiple players out there who could hit the open look they paid to create, but so were two non-shooters, Ben Simmons and Nick Claxton. and weaponize Simmons or Craxton as a threat to Robb, not a credible creator of the game.

Again, that’s why Miami wanted the ball out of Irving’s hands. As a general rule, if the defender is doing what they want, the defender is winning, regardless of the outcome. I think it’s the same if you look at it the other way around. If the team is hitting the shot most likely to succeed, it is his shot winning regardless of the outcome.

Ask Jack Vaughan if he would like Irving to take the winning shot in that situation. Even without Durant on the floor, he would say absolutely he 100 times out of 100, considering others failed in his last minute.

Could Irving have tried to get a little closer to the rim? Sure. But every second he held that ball made him more and more likely to snatch it out of his hands, and it was Irving’s turn to seal the Nets’ victory over New Orleans on Friday. It’s about the same shot you hit within 48 hours of .

Put it back in Irving’s buzzer beater for three weeks, raptorsThe play was called for Durant, who suggested making the same play for Irving. Vaughn listened to top members. The entire exchange was captured on film before Irving stepped onto the floor to speak.

That huddle exchange shed a rare light on the inner workings of a team suddenly connected at the height of its considerable power. Irving’s role is to take and make tough shots, especially without KD next to him.

Irving, who started play on Sunday, was the league’s top scorer in the fourth quarter with 8.9 points on a 50% shooting percentage. He just averaged 29 points per game on his 51-42-92 shooting his split in December. He scored 24 points in the first half on Sunday.it’s his game and it’s his shot. a little deep? of course. A little impulsive? I guess. However, Irving earned the right to take that shot. Not over the course of his Hall of Fame career, but within the specific context of this Nets team at this particular time.

Irving has rightly been blamed for all the times and ways he undercut this Nets team during his and Durant’s tenure. A driving force for a team that he seems more united than any team in the league if he can leave his name in the headlines when he fails. The Nets are celebrating each other’s successes. Irving and O’Neill’s choreographed handshake after a big play is a portrait of a team having legitimate fun.

All these good vibes were behind Irving’s shot on Sunday. Every player on that court was in favor of him taking it and they believed he would make it. Even if O’Neal doesn’t come up with that rebound and the Heat lose the game, the Nets are still the winner…the big picture. They know who they are and are ready to roll with their mates.

In the past, had Irving failed to jack up such a shot at such a time and cost his team, the game could have been torn with already frayed locker room fabric. bottom. But this team is now closer than ever. In this context, Irving took that shot with his teammate behind him. No wonder it was his teammate who picked him up. The Nets are now together. If this continues, it will become as dangerous as the title.