“Could you just be a basketball player and demonstrate that you can take advantage of your unbelievable skill?” - Ric Bucher believes it’s not possible to win a title with Kyrie Irving

Ric Bucher, on FOX Sports' "The Herd," commented on Kyrie Irving's general behavior since joining the Brooklyn Nets. Bucher believes it has been counter-productive, stating:

"I was astonished at two things: one, going back and listening to what he said before he even heard Steve Nash's plan. It was we don't need a coach. We don't need somebody coming in and implementing their coaching philosophy. "

The topic of what Irving does and does not do as a basketball player seems to be under constant scrutiny. Between Kyrie Irving's recent tweets slandering the media and his abysmal performance in the first round of the playoffs, the scrutiny may be warranted.

The New York vaccine mandate and Kyrie's vaccination status kept him out for most of the regular-season, costing Brooklyn a desirable playoff position. When the mandate was lifted at the end of the regular-season, he came up short.

Bucher stated:

"And now we get two years later, we've had all of the disappointment for the Brooklyn Nets. And where is Kyrie Irving? Well, 'I'm gonna go upstairs with Joe Tsai the owner and Sean marks the GM and KD. Kyrie and the four of us are going to figure this out and figure out which players we need'"

"I'm thinking 'Kyrie could just just show up and do your job on the floor? Could you just be a basketball player and demonstrate that you can take advantage of your unbelievable skill?'"

The future for the Nets at the moment is bleak. Irving has incredible talent, but hasn't proven his mettle when it matters the most since his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is now set to enter the 11th season of his career and likely won't change his mindset.

Kyrie Irving's playoff record

Kevin Durant, left, and Irving, right.

Many don't believe Kyrie Irving can lead a team. The first time he ever made the playoffs was with LeBron James. He appeared in the playoffs once during the two years he was in Boston and lost the series 4-1 to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Irving's playoff numbers took a nosedive after he left Cleveland. in 2016-17, Kyrie averaged 25.9 points per game, while shooting 46.8%. In 2019 with the Celtics, Irving averaged 21.3 points per game, shooting just 38.5%.

Irving might just be the most skilled player the game has ever seen. His ability to take defenders off the dribble is second to none, and so is his shot-making. However, he needs to perform in the post-season to justify his place among the greats.