Kyrie Irving has always been incredibly vocal about his teammates and whether or not the people around him are good enough to win. During his stint in Boston, Irving was constantly criticized for being too vocal and alienating his team. After losing to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, Irving was subjected to even more criticism as he began to make bold statements about the status of his team. Irving claims the Nets still need more pieces in order to be better. Many would say KD is all they need but Kyrie meant the team needs more on top of Kevin Durant.
Stephen A. Smith wasn't having it with Kyrie this morning. The First Take host went on a lengthy rant about Irving and how he always seems to bring up these issues when they don't matter. In fact, Smith almost lost his voice as Max Kellerman tried to calm him down.
Smith went on to praise Kenny Atkinson who has been the backbone of this Nets team. Despite a depleted roster, Atkinson has coached the team to a record good enough to make the Eastern Conference playoffs with. For now, the team is far from being a contender although they certainly have a lot going on for them.
Do you think Smith is right for criticizing Kyrie or is he blowing his comments out of proportion?