Fourteen games into the NBA season and the Cleveland Cavaliers have a record of 3-14. Their record is a bit misleading, as the Cavs have been competitive in most of their games. They have lost a number of heart breakers late in the fourth quarter. Of their five late game losses, three were against probable playoff teams (Milwaukee, Miami, and Memphis). Over their last three games the Cavaliers entered the fourth quarter tied or leading only to come up short.
Starting point guard Kyrie Irving has missed the last four games due to a fractured finger. Is it a coincidence that the Cavaliers have lost these last three games without Irving? Lets take a closer look.
According to ESPN Research, Irving led the league last year in usage during clutch situations. His usage rate of 47.2% of his team’s possessions during clutch situations was 19.3% higher than his usage rate for the rest of the game. Here’s the astonishing part, of the top five players in usage rating during clutch situations, Kyrie was the only one to boast a higher field goal percentage than in non-clutch situations.
So what can we make of all these statistics? Well, when the game is on the line, Irving will have the ball in his hands. Also, he is not affected by pressure; in fact, he thrives on it, as evidenced by his field goal percentage.
A strong argument can be made that Irving is sorely missed by his coach and teammates. Perhaps a few of those games may have ended differently with Irving on the court. For Cleveland fans, Irving’s finger can’t heal soon enough
StraightSports 