Kyrie Irving on his play vs. Bulls: ‘I was just real sh*tty with the basketball’

The Cleveland Cavaliers blew a very winnable game last night against the Chicago Bulls largely due to a sloppy fourth quarter. At times, Kyrie Irving struggled and over-dribbled a bit. He also a committed a few turnovers when the Cavs could ill afford to waste a position.

After the game, Irving was blunt about his play and said he was 'real sh*tty with the basketball'. Here is his full quote via ESPN's Dave McMenamin:

"I was just real s----y with the basketball, that's all," Irving said. "Handle wasn't crisp, and Justin Holiday threw great defensive pressure at the top of the key, and their defense was extending me out almost to half court. For me, just coming to the bench, I just got to do a better job of leading that second unit -- especially when Bron [James] and Kevin [Love] are on the bench.

"It's more of a letdown for me going into that fourth quarter and knowing that we had a decent lead going into that fourth. I just got to be better with that second unit. I take responsibility for what transpired there."

There is definitely some truth to Irving's comments. One the biggest critiques of his game is that he does over dribble at times and has problems distributing the ball.

But what's also interesting is his quotes on leading the second unit. For a stretch last night, he was the only member of the Cavs' 'Big Three' on the floor and the Cavs didn't exactly perform well during that stretch. When the playoffs come, when as the rotations get a bit shorter, there will probably be moments where Irving isn't sharing the floor with LeBron and Love. Him playing well and carrying the offense is key, especially when LeBron is off the floor and Irving is the lead ball handler.