Kyrie Irving has a 11-11 playoff record since leaving LeBron James’ Cavaliers, before that it was 39-13

Akash Murty | 24/08/2022
Kyrie Irving has a 11-11 playoff record since leaving LeBron James’ Cavaliers, before that it was 38-13

Since leaving LeBron James’ side in 2017, Kyrie Irving has been a menace everywhere else other than the hardwood.

A few days back both Kyrie Irving and his Nets team were in a tough spot thinking about where to take that partnership of theirs which has almost never been off the headlines since the point guard brought his talents to Brooklyn alongside Kevin Durant.

As of today, they are all set for at least another year as there was no possible suitor for the duo in the market. Nobody could guarantee that things wouldn’t change tomorrow, next month, or in the mid-season but the Nets, as for now, are a contender once again for the 2023 Championship.

And to do things differently unlike the last couple of Playoffs, they must look at what has to change and to do that, they must go back to the 2017 Playoffs when Uncle Drew last played with The King.

Also read: “Kyrie Irving is a superstar, Damian Lillard isn’t”: Jayson Tatum makes Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks confess something outrageous

Kyrie Irving has managed to put up just 22/5/5 in the playoffs since he last played with LeBron James

We know it’s a delight to watch Irving dance with the ball irrespective of what’s the result of the game. But KD must want results more than anything else, both from Kyrie and the Nets organization. That is how they’ll be able to keep the Slim Reaper beyond this season.

And looking at Irving’s last few postseason performances, it seems like he would find it difficult to play his best unless somebody like LeBron James is by his side. He averaged around 24p/5a/3r in 52 playoff games with a 39-13 record in Cavs uniform.

Thanks to NBA Reddit, we came across a post that touched upon his Playoffs numbers when he was playing for Cleveland were quite better than all his Playoff numbers with the Celtics and the Nets.

Those 2-3 point differential in the scoring average might be less but could’ve played a major role in the all the playoffs loss Nets have suffered in the last few years. Kyrie personally might believe that it was because of his injuries and the drama regarding vaccination but it must have been because the GOAT of this generation complemented him the best.

And irrespective of how good playmakers they have become in the playoffs, there is no way either Jayson Tatum or Durant could have done what James does in the postseason.

Also read: LeBron James’ mundane 12-hour practice for setting NBA records

LBJ averaged around 29 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game (52 Playoff games) with Kyrie by his side while Tatum averages under 2 assists and Durant under 3.5 in far lesser matches.

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
boston celtics Brooklyn Nets cleveland cavaliers kyrie irving LeBron James

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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