Nets guard Kyrie Irving recently made his season debut for the Nets, returning the team to (nearly) its full power for the new year.
Irving, 29, is widely regarded as one of the best guards in basketball, with an insane handle and an elite scoring ability.
With his return still fresh on the minds of the NBA community, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups recently spoke about him ahead of his matchup against Brooklyn, going so far as to call the guy the most skilled player to ever play the position.
“Kyrie is a wizard, man. He’s must-see TV. I personally think, as somebody who played the position, I think Kyrie’s the most skilled player ever to play that position,” said Billups via ESPN’s Nick Friedell.
Chauncey Billups: “Kyrie is a wizard, man. He’s must see TV. I personally think, as somebody who played the position, I think Kyrie’s the most skilled player ever to play that position.”
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) January 11, 2022
Considering the many All-Time greats who have played point guard, it’s a highly controversial statement to make. Nonetheless, Nets coach Steve Nash didn’t exactly disagree when asked for his opinion on Billups’ comments.
“Yeah it’s hard to argue,” admitted Nash. “There’s others in the conversation. Obviously, Steph (Curry) is incredibly skilled but just so deadly from long range in a variety of ways. But as far as the ball-handling, the movement, getting to his spots and shooting at all 3 levels, around the rim, (Kyrie is) off the charts, getting to the midrange he’s off the charts, and he’s excellent from deep as well.”
From Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas to Steph Curry and Chris Paul, the point guard position may be, arguably, the most talented position in the history of the sport.
And while Irving has several notable flaws in his game, his ball-handling ability may be the best we’ve ever seen. The way he’s able to move and create his own shots has put him in a category of his own.
In Brooklyn, fans are being reminded of this talent as the Nets continue to benefit from his return.
But unless he’s able to win a ring with the Nets, there will always be some level of hesitation about his leadership abilities both on and off the court.
