(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Kyrie Irving failed the Dallas Mavericks, plain and simple.
He couldn’t get past his history with the Boston Celtics and their fans, and he was far from his best at the TD Garden.
It’s not that the Celtics defense wasn’t elite because it was, but for one of the best offensive talents on Earth to have as many points as field goals taken in a five-game series, something else has to be happening.
That’s why Jay Williams criticized him for how passive he was throughout the course of the series, particularly in a win-or-go-home game.
Talking on ESPN’s Get Up, Williams was shocked by the fact that Irving didn’t even attempt a single shot in the first quarter.
.@RealJayWilliams says he was “shocked by the passiveness of Kyrie early in the Game 5 in which he needed to be great.”
“It always felt like Kyrie was more attached with the fan base and the pressure of being there than being lost in the rhythm of the game.” pic.twitter.com/2GvO0auoxo
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 18, 2024
He stated that Irving was very passive and failed to get into the rhythm of the game or set the tone for the rest of his teammates.
For the foreseeable future, it seems like the road to the NBA Finals will run through Boston in the Eastern Conference, so Irving will have to find a way around these woes.
He always talks about character and mental strength, but he just can’t shake this off.
Sports psychology has come a long way over the years, and Irving might benefit from getting to work with one during the offseason, as he’s just too good a player to struggle this mightily against another team regardless of who’s guarding him.
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