In a guest appearance on the ‘Deuce&Mo’ podcast, 24-year-old Keon Ellis tagged Kyrie Irving as the NBA’s toughest assignment. According to Ellis, Irving is impossible to guard simply because of his unprecedented skill set.
“Kyrie Irving is probably the toughest to guard,” said Ellis. “I’m the most worried about guys who can shoot it from deep. If you can shoot the three at a high clip it’s like ‘Damn not I have to press up’ and I can’t use my wingspan like I can with a guy like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A guy like Brunson, Curry, Dame you have to be in their air space because any little bit of room it’s going up. With Kyrie, you’ll think you have him, and he’ll just throw something up with the left hand, and it’ll hit nothing but net.”
Keon Ellis named Kyrie as the toughest player to guard in the NBA:
“Kyrie Irving is probably the toughest to guard… You’ll think you have him, and he’ll just throw something up with the left hand, and it’ll hit nothing but net”
(🎥 Deuce&Mo/YT) pic.twitter.com/czNySA7dXn
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) September 6, 2024
The natural evolution of the NBA has drastically increased the value of the three-pointer and it’s led to an era of star point guards. From Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic to Damian Lillard and De’Aaron Fox, there is more elite-level talent at the guard position today than at any point in NBA history.
At 32 years old, Kyrie Irving may be among the best of them all. The 6’2″ guard is currently with the Mavericks but has a history of success on various steams including the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets. After being drafted first overall in 2011, Kyrie went on to win Rookie of the Year and quickly rose the ranks as a star in the league.
It wasn’t until his stint with LeBron James that his career really took off. After the King’s arrival in 2014, Irving embraced a sidekick role for the first time in his career and it paid off in miraculous ways. Together, Irving and James took the Cavaliers to three straight Finals appearances and won a title in 2016 before Irving forced his way out.
The next few years saw Kyrie bounce around to different places until he landed on his current team, the Dallas Mavericks. In an effort to build a contender around Luka Doncic, the Mavericks leaned on Kyrie to become their next great star and he hasn’t disappointed so far.
In two seasons with the Mavericks, Irving is putting up 26.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game on 50% shooting. He’s been everything that the Mavericks needed and his skills as a scorer, playmaker, and ball-handler have been key in the Mavericks’ rise in the West.
Last season, they finished 5th in the West at 50-32 before making a run to the NBA Finals. Sadly, the Mavericks were unable to win the series and they’ll have to try again this upcoming season to bring home the title. With the addition of Klay Thompson, they are among the favorites to get it done but the journey will not be easy and the result is not guaranteed.
In the meantime, Irving will keep playing his role on a Mavericks team that has shown nothing but support. Despite a complicated and controversial history, Irving’s unique and unmatched skills in the backcourt make him invaluable to the Mavericks and they need him at his best to have any chance at the title.
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