Point guard Kyrie Irving is one of the best players at his position when on the court, and he is highly regarded due to his ballhandling ability and shot creation. However, a lot of NBA analysts don’t rank him highly despite his talent. In fact, the Dallas Mavericks guard was recently ranked as the No. 34 player in the NBA by ESPN analysts.
Recently, we saw Irving react to his positioning on ESPN’s Top 100 list, claiming that he doesn’t care about what ESPN’s media members have to say about him.
“Who. TF. cares. I Never will. Rankings don’t mean a damn thing in the league, especially not from ESPN or any of these other media platforms. Majority of the analysts are not credible sources in my eyes and I don’t respect them or their opinions.”
Kyrie Irving reacts to ESPN ranking him the 34th best player in the NBA on IG 👀
"Who. TF. cares. I Never will. Rankings don't mean a damn thing in the league, especially not from ESPN or any of these other media platforms. Majority of the analysts are not credible sources in my… pic.twitter.com/3xVfrSvIo6
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 11, 2023
When he is actually playing, it is fair to say Irving gives All-NBA-caliber production on the court. He has three All-NBA selections already, so he can clearly play at that level. The key is Irving being consistently available, especially now, as there is a 65-game minimum requirement for individual awards.
This past season, Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game over the course of 60 games with the Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets. Hopefully, we see him play at that level next season, and if he does that while being available, he should be back in All-NBA talks.
Kyrie Irving’s Ability In Isolation Is Highly Regarded
One of Irving’s greatest strengths is his ability to get his own shot in isolation, even against defenders who are bigger and more athletic than he is. Once, Tracy McGrady suggested that Irving is the best isolation guard in the league.
“I think there are a handful of guards that I think are must-see TV in 1v1… Steph, Kyrie, Dame is one of those guys. I would even put somebody like Bradley Beal in there. De’Aaron Fox. But to me, it’s Kyrie [Irving]. He’s the best guard in the league 1v1.”
There is no doubt that this is high praise for Irving from McGrady. Though there are definitely other guards who are elite in one-on-one situations, Irving has the edge over most of them simply due to his creativity in isolation. Oftentimes, it seems as though he has an endless supply of moves, and isolation is where Irving truly gets to show his creativity as a player.
There Are A Lot Of Expectations For Kyrie Irving And The Dallas Mavericks
Going into the season, a lot of people are expecting the Mavericks to at least be a playoff team going into the season. They have one of the best star duos in the league featuring Irving and Luka Doncic, as well as quality role players surrounding them.
With that being said, getting to the playoffs in the Western Conference won’t be easy. There are a lot of talented teams in the West, with the Phoenix Suns, the Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Lakers likely being the best among them.
Still, the Mavericks have enough to compete even with the best teams. The key will of course be Irving’s play next to Doncic, and if he can provide consistent All-NBA production, then they will be a good team.
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