The Official Kyle Korver Appreciation Article

The Official Kyle Korver Appreciation Article

Kyle Korver has done everything the Cavaliers have asked of him this postseason. Once he did that, he started doing things well beyond what they have asked of him. Kyle Korver is a monster.

Kyle Korver has done everything the Cavaliers have asked of him this postseason. Once he did that, he started doing things well beyond what they have asked of him. Kyle Korver is a monster.

Kyle Korver has had the kind of post-season run that articles get written about. As such, this won't be the only Kyle Korver article you see this week. It's not even my first Kyle Korver article this year. The man is special. He is a top-5 three-point shooter in NBA history, for reasons mentioned in that previous article.

And what has he done this post-season to improve upon that reputation? Through game four of the Boston series, here are some highlights from Kyle's playoffs:

  • Most points scored in a playoff run in his career (160 through 15 games)
  • Making 46.4% of his three-pointers
  • Recorded a three block game in game 4 (after recording one total block in the previous ten games)
  • He is shooting 58% from the field in the Boston series
  • He had that full-sprint dive for the loose ball play after a jump-ball late in game four that I can't seem to find video proof of. It happened, I promise!
  • Is posting a 131 ORtg through the first 15 playoff games
  • Has produced the most playoff win shares of his career by a 50% margin

The guy has been fantastic. How can you not root for a 37-year-old guy who gets targeted every single time down the floor and then responds by doing this to a 21-year-old?

In addition to the blocks on Jaylen Brown, he pulled down four rebounds - a somewhat substantial number, considering he played 25 minutes and has never been known as a rebounder. He used up five of his fouls, but who cares? He has been everything the Cavaliers have needed and then some. But there's something a little extra that he brings to the table: When Kyle Korver is on the floor, the Cavs run sets. The more they run sets and the more they have off-ball movement, the more layups and open looks they get. Conversely, when LeBron pounds the ball for 22 seconds and pulls up for contested jumpers, the offensive productivity takes a dip (unless it's in that fadeaway festival from game 2 in Toronto).

The Celtics are a tremendous defensive team and they're very disciplined. But when Korver comes whipping around screens, someone has to get to him. If they don't, clean looks open up someplace, and the Cavs have been able to hit enough open shots in games 3-4 to be the difference.

For example, here's a play that ends with a Korver corner-three. It doesn't happen because he moved, but it happens because he's out there and the Cavaliers are actually starting to utilize what makes them so dangerous (again? They did this in past years but not really this season yet).

LeBron has already dominated this game, so he goes for a post-up on the right side after getting the much small Terry Rozier on a switch. Tristan Thompson knows how to play with LeBron, so Tristan cuts immediately as Aron Baynes comes to guard LeBron. Rozier is now left to rotate all the way across as LeBron throws an absurd 40-foot pass to Kevin Love. Jayson Tatum has to hop onto love because of the time it takes for Rozier to cross the court, and the result is a quick-pass from Love to Korver for an open corner three. Bonus points go to Tristan Thompson for taking Al Horford with him as he dives into the paint, and a special added flare for that moment of "oh god no." which must be in Terry Rozier's head as he lunges toward Korver.

Realistically, if Tatum gets there half a step earlier, Rozier would have been able to go from flashing toward Thompson to going straight to the corner for Korver, but it didn't happen that way.

This wasn't so much an example of Korver using screens and encouraging player movement, but if Jeff Green is in that corner, this is a dead possession for the Cavaliers. Or if Kevin Love is in the corner and Jeff Green was in the Kevin Love role above, Tatum probably stays in the corner and Rozier half-closes out on Green, giving him a three-pointer because he's a bad three-point shooter.

Korver changes the game. It's a bit unfortunate that the Cavaliers are relying on a 37-year-old role player to bring them back into this series, but beggars can't be choosers, and Korver has been up to the task.

Taking the act on the road will be the difference between finishing off Boston or putting the Cavaliers' backs against the wall.

Kyle Korver has had the kind of post-season run that articles get written about. As such, this won't be the only Kyle Korver article you see this week. It's not even my first Kyle Korver article this year. The man is special. He is a top-5 three-point shooter in NBA history, for reasons mentioned in that previous article.

And what has he done this post-season to improve upon that reputation? Through game four of the Boston series, here are some highlights from Kyle's playoffs:

  • Most points scored in a playoff run in his career (160 through 15 games)
  • Making 46.4% of his three-pointers
  • Recorded a three block game in game 4 (after recording one total block in the previous ten games)
  • He is shooting 58% from the field in the Boston series
  • He had that full-sprint dive for the loose ball play after a jump-ball late in game four that I can't seem to find video proof of. It happened, I promise!
  • Is posting a 131 ORtg through the first 15 playoff games
  • Has produced the most playoff win shares of his career by a 50% margin

The guy has been fantastic. How can you not root for a 37-year-old guy who gets targeted every single time down the floor and then responds by doing this to a 21-year-old?

In addition to the blocks on Jaylen Brown, he pulled down four rebounds - a somewhat substantial number, considering he played 25 minutes and has never been known as a rebounder. He used up five of his fouls, but who cares? He has been everything the Cavaliers have needed and then some. But there's something a little extra that he brings to the table: When Kyle Korver is on the floor, the Cavs run sets. The more they run sets and the more they have off-ball movement, the more layups and open looks they get. Conversely, when LeBron pounds the ball for 22 seconds and pulls up for contested jumpers, the offensive productivity takes a dip (unless it's in that fadeaway festival from game 2 in Toronto).

The Celtics are a tremendous defensive team and they're very disciplined. But when Korver comes whipping around screens, someone has to get to him. If they don't, clean looks open up someplace, and the Cavs have been able to hit enough open shots in games 3-4 to be the difference.

For example, here's a play that ends with a Korver corner-three. It doesn't happen because he moved, but it happens because he's out there and the Cavaliers are actually starting to utilize what makes them so dangerous (again? They did this in past years but not really this season yet).

LeBron has already dominated this game, so he goes for a post-up on the right side after getting the much small Terry Rozier on a switch. Tristan Thompson knows how to play with LeBron, so Tristan cuts immediately as Aron Baynes comes to guard LeBron. Rozier is now left to rotate all the way across as LeBron throws an absurd 40-foot pass to Kevin Love. Jayson Tatum has to hop onto love because of the time it takes for Rozier to cross the court, and the result is a quick-pass from Love to Korver for an open corner three. Bonus points go to Tristan Thompson for taking Al Horford with him as he dives into the paint, and a special added flare for that moment of "oh god no." which must be in Terry Rozier's head as he lunges toward Korver.

Realistically, if Tatum gets there half a step earlier, Rozier would have been able to go from flashing toward Thompson to going straight to the corner for Korver, but it didn't happen that way.

This wasn't so much an example of Korver using screens and encouraging player movement, but if Jeff Green is in that corner, this is a dead possession for the Cavaliers. Or if Kevin Love is in the corner and Jeff Green was in the Kevin Love role above, Tatum probably stays in the corner and Rozier half-closes out on Green, giving him a three-pointer because he's a bad three-point shooter.

Korver changes the game. It's a bit unfortunate that the Cavaliers are relying on a 37-year-old role player to bring them back into this series, but beggars can't be choosers, and Korver has been up to the task.

Taking the act on the road will be the difference between finishing off Boston or putting the Cavaliers' backs against the wall.

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