After struggling with efficiency in the first three games after Kevin Durant’s MCL sprain, Kyrie Irving posted at least 30 points, five assists and five rebounds in three straight games for the first time in his career.
It started at 30-7-7 sandsThen won 48-11-6 jazzFinally, Irving had 38 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds for just one turnover in Brooklyn’s 120-116 victory. Warriors on sunday.
But I’m not here to highlight Irving’s attack. I am here to highlight his defense. Relatively speaking, it has actually been very good for quite some time. The effort and attention to detail is evident, and the same footwork Irving uses to dizzy a defender when he’s in possession of the ball proves just as helpful when he’s on the other side of the dance. It has been.
Watch as Irving swarms Steph Curry starting at halfcourt, narrowing the space on the ball screen before starting a defensive slide clinic when Curry denies the screen. By the time Curry gives it up, it kills the entire possession as the Warriors are forced to ask Klay Thompson to create against a dwindling shot clock. No dice.
Irving took on Curry’s duties all night. See here at the end of the third quarter. Irving again puts Curry a lot of ball his pressure and is isolated on the island and when Curry tries to shimmy into some sort of separation he keeps his discipline but he just can’t get it.
Curry faced Irving one-on-one again late in the fourth set. He tries to go right, but he can’t get an inch off. Callie loses his footing and moves as Irving completely disrupts the rhythm.
A common denominator in all of these plays is how relentlessly Irving fills Curry’s space, both on ball pressure and off-ball physicality. The former usually seeks trouble as Callie walks by the guys who try to keep him tight, but Irving can move his legs.
For the latter point, off-ball physicality, see the sequence below. After once again harassing Curry with her pressure on the ball, Irving remains attached to Curry while dodging Golden Her State’s patented split her action. Curry wants her to come around the screen after the ball is in the post, but Irving is so tight on Curry that it all comes together. Then, as Nick Claxton pops out for Curry, Irving switches to a rolling Kevon Looney to block that option, Jonathan Kuminga forces a shot, and Ben Simmons draws an offensive foul.
That’s a very good one from everyone involved. Claxton was great in this game. Simmons defended well, recording 11 assists. Joe Harris hit some big shots. Lois O’Neal has been great all season. A lot of players switched to Curry in this game and made him a tough shooter. By the end, I found him to be indecisive and almost lethargic trying to get to his lesser-seen spot.
This is how to annoy a great scorer. Curry made just 16 shots and he scored 26. From the deep he was 8-4. I have no intention of shutting down Curry. But it’s possible to win possessions at once, and in the end, the cumulative effect of connected switching efforts and constant ball-hitting pressure can bring even a superstar down. From that perspective, this win had Irving’s footprints all over the ball on both sides. you know about crime But when Irving defends like this, Net become extremely dangerous.
