Kyrie Irving acknowledges his embarrassing defensive performance against the Wizards

The Brooklyn Nets have been an absolute disaster on defense and Kyrie Irving knows he’s a big part of the problem.

Kyrie Irving has never had a reputation as an engaged or effective defender. Neither, for that matter, has his new teammate James Harden. With a roster that’s heavily tilted towards offensive skill, it makes sense that the defense would be lagging, and boy is it ever.

The Nets’ defensive efficiency since the Harden trade would rank as the worst in NBA history if stretched across the entire season. They allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to score 147 (admittedly in a double-overtime game) a particularly embarrassing showing against one of the worst offenses in the league. And Sunday night, Brooklyn gave up 149 (in regulation!) to the Washington Wizards, including six points in the final four seconds to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Irving, for his part, is well aware of the issues and willing to take his share of the responsibility for his team’s woeful performance.

What did Kyrie Irving have to say about his terrible defense?

The NBA’s matchup statistics can be wonky with regards to assigning responsibility for outcomes but they list Russell Westbrook as Irving’s primary defensive matchup for last night’s game, with Westbrook scoring 8 points and dishing out 3 assists on the 18 possessions for which Irving was guarding him. The Wizards scored 26 points as a team on those possessions and another 10 in the just under 8 possessions Irving was guarding Bradley Beal. Put that all together and it’s an offensive efficiency mark of 138.1 points per 100 possessions for the Wizards when Irving was guarding Westbrook or Beal.

Effort and energy could certainly make a difference for Brooklyn’s defense but their lack of talent and depth on that side of the ball is going to be an ongoing problem and could threaten a potential title run.