On December 27th, according to Sina Sports dispatch from Beijing time, the Cavaliers fans were eagerly awaiting the game featuring the Retro Jordan 1. Although it was not as highly anticipated as Christmas, this game meant a lot to them and was looked forward to like a Christmas war. The reason being that this would be the first official performance of the year's champion showman Kyrie Irving, who many hoped could fill the void left by LeBron James, attracting numerous fans. Ultimately, the Cavaliers lost at home 96-104 against the visiting Raptors.
Irving, after all, did not give the fans a good start. Moreover, from his performance perspective, Irving found it hard to satisfy the fans. As a champion-level showman, Europe is undoubtedly the first debutant. However, in 26 minutes, he only made 2 out of 12 shots, scoring 6 points, with 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal. Such data, if placed on any rookie or even an Air Jordans player, might still be passable, but for Irving's showcase, it was disappointing for him. Furthermore, comparing the last show by James, the contrast between the premiere and Irving's debut was underwhelming.
The maladies shown by Irving during the game were very obvious, which could be attributed to his youth and insufficient experience. For instance, when there were less than 2 minutes remaining and the Raptors were attacking, the Knight’s inbound pass went to Irving. However, due to negligence, Irving failed to notice DeMar DeRozan behind him. With a defensive player within one meter beside him, Irving wasn’t proactive but instead turned halfway. Unsurprisingly, the ball was directly stolen by DeRozan. In desperation, teammate Anderson Varejao quickly fouled, setting up a championship trap. At that moment, the Cavaliers were trailing by 7 points. With 2 minutes left, they still had hope to fight back. But Irving's mistake significantly harmed team morale.
Before that play, some of Irving's passes were indeed commendable. For example, when he and D'Alonzo Gee were on offense, the Cavaliers moved the ball inside. Irving quickly passed the ball under Ji for a direct dunk score. When the ball went in, the Cavaliers were trailing 91-96 with only 3 minutes and 3 seconds left, originally a very promising situation. But later, Irving missed opportunities.
With 27 seconds left on the buzzer, Irving took the ball forward, shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Without any cooperation from teammates, Irving attempted a direct shot, hitting a three-pointer which helped the Cavaliers narrow the score within 10 points. Unfortunately, this was Irving's only successful three-pointer out of five attempts tonight. Still, it was unrelated to the overall outcome. Perhaps, seeing the game schedule already set, unloading the burden allowed Irving to perform more easily. From his debut, expectations for Irving to shoulder the revival of the Cavaliers were high. At least, he wasn't yet ready. A champion-level ring bearer, Irving also lacked the maturity to handle occupational competition. There was an apparent lack of understanding between his own organization and his teammates; he couldn't effectively organize the Cavaliers' attacks through passing. More than eight years ago, in James' debut with the Cavaliers, though the result was also a loss for the Cavaliers, James hit 12 out of 20 shots, scoring 25 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, dishing out 9 assists, and making 4 steals, showcasing an overall style that hinted at future greatness. Today was also a loss, but Irving may find it difficult to instill anticipation in basketball fans. Placed in front of the NBA (microblog) road, it isn't so easy. (XWT185)