Dame > Kyrie and that's because the skill, talent and efficiency gap (which slightly favours Kyrie) is nowhere near large enough to make up for the fact that Dame isn't made of glass. He's played 81 more regular season + playoff games despite coming in a year after Kyrie, almost a whole regular season despite Kyrie having a headstart
, you can't ignore the amount of production you get out of Dame that you simply don't get out of Kyrie because he's not even on the court. Neither are really first options on a conventional NBA championship team because they're not good enough defensively or off the ball (like Curry). Guys were barking up the wrong tree when they tried to prop up Dame at Curry's expense but Kyrie's definitely behind Dame. Dame could have given the Cavs most if not all of what Kyrie gave during that championship run and he actually would have been on the court for 2015.
Dame>>>>>Kyrie
It’s not remotely close, Kyrie’s a beast but he’s never had a single season putting a team on his back.
Dame does it year in and year out. He would have taken Boston to the ECF and potentially further.
The disparity in contracts between Dame and Kyrie in 2017/18 (when Kyrie got traded to the Celtics) means that the Boston team Dame would have had would have been weaker than the team Kyrie had (which had 8 guys getting double digits in PPG that year).
In a hypothetical scenario where contracts are equal between Dame and Kyrie I actually agree with you mainly because:
- The Celtics reached the ECF and took it to 7 games without Kyrie who was injured and Rozier was running point.
- Dame is nowhere near as injury prone as Kyrie and he would have been on the court producing with Rozier adding scoring from the bench.
- Depending on what happens with Kyrie in 2017 and what the Cavs get in return for Kyrie if he's traded the Celtics would possibly get past the Cavs in the ECF.
- There wouldn't have been the same contract and locker room drama Kyrie brought last season if Dame was plugged into that team instead of Kyrie, the Celtics squad seem to be a lot more harmonious with Kemba leading the way and Dame seems to be a lot closer to Kemba than he does Kyrie personality wise judging by his interviews and how people talk about his leadership (like CJ and Melo) so maybe last season isn't as traumatic and they build on 17/18.
Having said all that would the Coli still love Dame in that alternate reality
? He wouldn't be the underdog anymore, especially when Hayward comes back and gets up and running. A team with a 17 PPG 4th option
coming out the East
playing in Boston
with Dame having come from the West himself
coming off a first round sweep in the playoffs before he jumped ship
same dude who had to complain to get on an all-star team
.
That's a recipe for Coli fukkery
. Nothing that team does would count around here. Asterisks everywhere. Dame would be getting called all sorts of frauds.
