Links to the Present: Kyrie is Sweeeeeet.
2013-01-23
Uncle Drew!
“Men are slower to recognize blessings than evils.”
-Titus Livius
As Cavs fans, we argue endlessly about the players on the Cavs that just-can’t-get-all-the-way-there; is Dion Waiters a low-efficiency chucker, or Dwayne Wade? Has Tristan Thompson finally turned the corner? This is all well and good. Sometimes, though, we need to take a step back and recognize the history taking place right before out eyes. Kyrie Irving is a young superstar, and the rest of the league is starting to take notice. 20 years old, 22.9 PER. I’m fighting an intense urge to use emoticons here, but times are good.
Anyways, here’s a few links in appreciation of Uncle Drew himself.
ESPN (Insider) is rolling out a new feature called “Who’s Better.” First edition: Kyrie Irving vs. Damian Lillard. Kyrie wins the comparison handily, and there’s this for dessert: “Irving, though, drips with the kind of intangibles that suggest he could be one of the NBA’s greats.”
ESPN (Insider) also released “25 under 25” rankings. Kyrie is sixth on the list. “Already one of the league’s top players. Irving combines offensive skill better than any player on this list, and far better than anyone at this age in recent memory.”
In addition to the 25 under 25 list, “best- and worst-case scenarios” were compiled for the top 10 by ESPN (Insider). Kyrie receives Jason Kidd/Kobe Bryant as his best-case scenarios, and Michael Redd/Steve Francis as his worst.
The AI comparison is the best out there but its not really a best case since he really can be better since he isn’t selfish already score more efficiently and isn’t crazy
I like the AI comparisons, too, but when we do that and point out Kyrie’s advantages, we should also mention that he’ll never have Iverson’s absolutely blinding speed or his pathological, world-destroying competitiveness.
lverson is a probably the best comp for Kyrie. Both could get wherever they wanted on the court with their handle and score from near and far. Maybe KI is AI who had a strong father in his life. Irving is good Earth efficient Iverson who doesn’t get blackout drunk and urinate in garbage cans as casinos. I can live with that.
Steve Francis? wow… no class. Kyrie does not deserve an insult like that. If you really want to say he is injury prone I guess a Michael Redd comp is okay but Redd never put up numbers like Kyrie. I really like Lilard but come on, Kyrie is the top scoring point guard in the league. One on one Kyrie would score at will. Ive been saying the Iverson comp for a while now. Ridiculous handle and the ability to finish when it really does not seem possible. But Kyrie has one of the best jumpers in the game right… Read more »
I’m with you Cory. I sort of get the Michael Redd worst case (given the media’s propensity to focus on KI being “injury prone”), but the Steve Francis corollary was unwarranted since it’s really hard to imagine KI as a selfish team cancer. Surprised not to see comparison to Isaiah, Iverson or Kevin Johnson.
That Chris Palmer article comparing him to Lillard is trash. He says Lillard and Curry are going to be the pre-eminent point guards of the West. Doesn’t mention Russell Westbrook. Lillard is one year younger than Westbrook, and Curry is actually older!
The more I think about Kyrie, the more I think: Allen Iverson +2″ & if he had a better jumper and wasn’t crazy.
I’m assuming the best case/worst case wasn’t necessarily a comparison of playing styles but of the impact they had in the league. Redd’s career feel apart from injuries…yikes. Steve Francis had skills, but was a team cancer and a general piece of shit. My twitter picture is actually of Francis smoking crack.