Kyrie Irving made it to the league as the first overall pick despite little-to-none footage of his game in college. That tells you just enough about his raw talent, his skill, and the potential he had.
Needless to say, Irving has lived up to those expectations thus far in the league. His leadership skills have left a lot to be desired, but basketball-wise; it didn’t take him long to become one of the best players in the world, a marquee player that could turn a good team into a championship contender.
Irving has never been much of a defender though, but he’s made up for it by being incredibly disruptive, versatile, and dynamic as a scorer. He can play on or off the ball and has endless ways to hurt opposing defenses. That’s why Max Kellerman went as far a stop call him the most skillful offensive player in NBA history:
“Kyrie Is radioactive. Look, I’ve said he’s the most skillful player in the history of basketball. I don’t mean he has the wisdom as to know when to deploy his skills, how much of it, and when. That wisdom he does not have to the extent that one of the greatest players ever had. I think he might be the most skillful offensive player of all time. I’m talking about pure skills,” Kellerman said on ESPN’s First Take.
"I think [Kyrie Irving] might be the most skillful offensive player of all time."
—@maxkellerman pic.twitter.com/neS5JH5sCP
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 12, 2020
While that statement may be a bit of a reach, it’s not that far-fetched at all. We’re talking about a guy whose lone flaw on the offensive end might be his size.
Throughout the course of his career, Irving has averaged 22.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on 36/49/87 shooting splits, so it’d be interesting to see whether he can keep improving as the offensive juggernaut he’s proven to be.
