NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce did not mince words on Monday morning when discussing Kyrie Irving’s performance in the Finals so far.
During his appearance on FS1’s “Undisputed,” Pierce, who won the NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008, was critical of the Mavericks guard’s lackluster start to the series.
In Game 2’s 105-98 loss on Sunday, Irving managed only 16 points, shooting 7-of-18 from the field and missing all three of his attempts from three-point range.
Overall, Irving’s average has dropped to 14 points per game at a shooting rate of 35.1 percent for the series.
“We’ve had the chance to watch Kyrie on this run to the finals, and we’ve been very impressed, even hearing LeBron [James] describe him as probably the most gifted player he’s ever seen,” Pierce noted. However, when asked to rate Irving’s performance on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most disappointing, Pierce did not hold back, stating, “I got to put it at a level 10.”
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Now trailing 0-2 in the series, Irving’s urgency to regain his form is critical.
Throughout the earlier playoff rounds against the Clippers, Thunder, and Timberwolves, he had been impressive, averaging 22.8 points on 48.5 percent shooting and hitting 42.1 percent from three on 6.3 attempts per game.
The Mavericks and their fans are hoping for a turnaround as the series heads back to Dallas for Game 3, which is scheduled for Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.
