The Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team in the Eastern Conference, but the great teams are always surrounded by drama.
This morning was no different, as ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith took to his show First Take to comment on point guard Kyrie Irving‘s mood in Cleveland.
“Dating back to last year, I’ve been told that Kyrie Irving ain’t too happy being in Cleveland. The situation is not ideal for him. I don’t know the particulars, I haven’t spoken to him personally. It’s something that I’ve been hearing for months; that under ideal circumstances he would prefer to be someplace other than Cleveland.”
The comments were made with Smith’s typical flair, and an acknowledgment that he hasn’t made direct contact with Irving about the subject. Still, a high-profile figure like Smith bringing this to the attention of the fans has already caused other media outlets to give their take on Irving.
Irving’s only reason for leaving would be selfish and non-basketball related. He already signed a long-term commitment to Cleveland in 2014 (a five-year, $90 million extension) and has no better chance of winning anywhere else.
What could be fueling these rumors is Irving’s defense. He’s been terrible this season. According to ESPN, he’s 76th of 84 point guards in defensive real plus-minus, and according to NBA Stats the point guard is in the fifth percentile of defense against spot up plays and the 28th percentile against ball handlers in the pick and roll.
So Irving is never going to be a lockdown defender, but he’s still been incredible on offense. He’s in the 80th percentile as a ball handler on the pick and roll and the 90th on isolation plays, and is second on the Cavs in scoring and PER (LeBron James is leading in both categories).
We all remember how allegedly unhappy Kevin Love was in Cleveland and how it was all James’ fault. Well, that was all swept under the rug after a max deal and David Blatt’s firing. It will be interesting to see what happens to make these rumors go away.
