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MILWAUKEE – When people are questioning about the essential mysteries of the entity that is Kyrie Playoff, they tend to focus on pointing explosions and filming from another world. Kyrie can do that, of course. We have seen so many times over the years that Irving's image of a 20-point frenzy is new in everyone's mind.
We saw part of it in the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinal series of the Celtics with the Bucks on Sunday, when Irving lost 26 points on a variety of fadea post-up, mid-runners and jumpers. He led all the scorers in the incredibly easy win of the C's 112-90, and his shot making was a crucial part of their offensive efficiency.
But that's not what made this Kyrie a playoff performance. It was his death that gave 11 assists. It was his defense, which has been at the rendezvous throughout the playoffs. It's mostly the balance that he brought to the management of the game. With the exception of a few turnarounds, your match was as perfect as you'd like your leader to be.
For Kyrie, it's not a question of choosing to be a marker or a facilitator. It's about understanding the rhythms of the game and allowing yourself the movement. Presenting the question as a choice is a restrictive binary construct. Kyrie Playoff contains multitudes.
"I went through the board with emotion to try to understand, how can we remember?" Said Irving. "How can I remember personally? Do I go out more aggressive? You start thinking too much about the game, and that's just basketball. So you get ready in the right way, you give a lot of energy, you give a lot of energy to your teammates and it will come back to you right away. And I really believe him. "
In the end, Kyrie really plays to generate positive karma. When he feels good, everyone feels good. When the Celtics feel good, they make the game so easy.
In recent weeks, Brad Stevens, coach of the Celtics, explained how well Irving knew the word. When Irving draws two defenders, he read well and when he left, he left. What Irving did during the playoffs, is to keep his approach delightfully simple.
Take the trusty pick-and-pop game with Al Horford. This is one of the oldest actions of the Playbook. The tall man places a screen and walks to the perimeter, while Irving catches the attention of several defenders. From there, it is simply a question of reading, of delivering the pass and of coming back in defense after the shot.
Simple things, really. But, oh so important for the Celtics to attack a Milwaukee defense that wraps up the paint and challenges you to shoot from the outside. This is the essential pivot of the series. The Bucks want the Celtics to take those shots and the Celtics are happy to oblige.
In most cases, allowing the big man to shoot from the perimeter is a good trade, especially if the alternative is Irving cutting a path to the basket. But most of the great men are not Al Horford.
"It's very vital for our offense," said Irving. "It brings continuity. This brings spacing. Especially when we are in the right places and we stay disciplined in our mid-court offense and we have one or the other match we want to participate in. Or Al knows when I'm going down and we tell all through the game how we want our offensive to be an offensive, how we can be more effective so that I do not miss it on easy shots or easy opportunities that He can do for others. "
Time and time again, the Celtics went to pick-and-pop and the Bucks were either happy to concede this field or were horribly spoiled in their rotations. Although it did not lead to a Horford rider, it opened up opportunities for players like Jaylen Brown and Marcus Morris, who combined their efforts to get 12 points out of 20 for 28 points.
When things went bad, as in the second quarter after the Bucks had cleared 15 points in a few minutes in a few minutes, Kyrie responded by simply doing the right game. What he's doing to hit a Brown for an easy double or to drive his defender off the dribble for a pull-up 3, Kyrie controlled the situation without dominating it.
"So, in the second and third quarters, I really do not mind shooting," Irving said. "I can have my shot whenever I want. I think everyone in the building knows it. But aside from that, the evolution of my game comes from the fact that I am able to rhythm and manage it well, and to establish these guys throughout the game because they are also special. "
It's the balance that the Celtics have been looking for all season. How do you train a team of about half a dozen players who can score with a leader who can get the shot he wants, when he wants it? The regular season seemed almost impossible, but we officially went far beyond these old talking points. It's the post-season and playoff Kyrie has arrived at the hour.
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