King James Gospel
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Cavs vs Raptors Game 2: What We Learned

By Jackson Flickinger

May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (center) huddles with his team before game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (center) huddles with his team before game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka (9) in the third quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka (9) in the third quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Kyrie Irving can still have a positive influence when his shot isn’t falling.

Irving didn’t have his shot in Game 2. He was 6 for 19 from the field (31.6 percent). Irving was only 3 of 13 from 2 point field goal attempts.

That being said, Kyrie did an excellent job of getting his teammates involved. He also more than held his own on the defensive end of the floor.

The Cavs were superb at holding Lowry and DeRozan in check in Game 2. They did an excellent job of playing team defense on both of them. Irving had a lot to do with that great defense.

As a result, Irving finished the game with an offensive rating of 120, a defensive rating of 105, and an assist percentage of 55.1 percent. He also did a great job of protecting the ball and finished with an assist to turnovers ratio of 5.5:1.

One of the main, and valid, criticisms of Irving was that when his shot isn’t falling he really doesn’t have much value. This is due mostly because of his subpar defense and lack of distribution. However, he proved that doesn’t always need to be the case. Kyrie was arguably the second best player for the Cavs in Game 2, and it had nothing to do with his shooting. That’s a scary thought for opponents.

The next step of Irving’s evolution as an elite point guard is being able to have a positive effect even when he isn’t shooting well. Maybe the next step of that evolution is closer than we thought.