Jacque Vaughn and Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving has been stellar in the 2022-23 season for the Brooklyn Nets, and has led the team alongside Kevin Durant in fine fashion. But now as the latter is now injured and sidelined due to an MCL sprain, the responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of the 2016 NBA Champ. Coach Jacque Vaughn was the first to acknowledge it as well.
Lets talk about the individual stats first – over Kyrie Irving’s last 13 games, the guard is averaging 28.2 points on 50.8 percent shooting from the field and 41.3 percent from three. Furthermore, this skilled Point Guard is also ranking second in the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring at an average of 8.7 points per game.
This is what Jacque Vaughn elaborated upon as he spoke about how Irving has to lead the Nets in Kevin Durant’s absence in the several weeks to come.
“We don’t want to put more pressure on Kyrie than he had three games ago,” Vaughn said Thursday. “It’s the same approach with this group… We’re going to have to be tighter on both ends of the floor, but no more pressure should be on eleven.”
Vaughn further added, “His ability to create double teams, which will happen, and create for other guys, his ability still to play one-on-one at times for us is going to be there. We added nothing to the playbook to put anymore on his plate.”
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