Kyrie Irving Is Growing Up as NBA Player and LeBron James' Wingman
When LeBron James announced his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers this past summer, many wondered how he and new star teammate Kyrie Irving would co-exist.
After all, Irving was used to getting up shots at will, running the offense however he pleased and not having to play sidekick to anybody. The James-Irving relationship was one to keep an eye on, as both bring similar playing styles to the table.
Following a 101-82 Nov. 4 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, a report surfaced saying James and Irving had a verbal exchange in the locker room.
This was certainly a scare for Cavs fans, who feared the star duo were suffering from chemistry issues just three games into the season.
Irving later clarified what went down between himself and James.
"As you can see, we're on opposite ends, so it means we hate each other," Irving sarcastically told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group three days later. "It was just over Survivor's Remorse and Family Guy. That's what it was about. Obviously he's going to feel strongly about Survivor's Remorse. It's his show, but I love Family Guy. So a heated exchange, words were said. No blows this time, but awesome for our team. It's great."
While it appears Irving doesn't agree with James when it comes to TV shows, his coalescing with the game's best player on the court has become quite enjoyable to watch.
Irving, who was once asked to carry the Cavaliers franchise as a 19-year-old rookie, has been transitioning nicely into his new role as a sidekick. The pressure he once faced has now faded, and the spotlight is not so bright.
After taking a step back offensively last year as the team's leading man, Irving is now regaining his superstar path next to James.
LBJ (Life Before James)
Entering his third season with brand new teammates Andrew Bynum, Anthony Bennett and Jarrett Jack, surely 2013-14 was time for Irving to lead the Cavaliers back to the postseason.
He was coming off a career-best 22.5-point and 5.9-assist campaign, topping 39 percent from behind the three-point line in back-to-back years. Talented, confident and now experienced, Irving was ready to bust out into full superstar mode for sure, right?
Not so much.
Instead of taking another step forward, Irving fell flat as the Cavs stumbled to a 33-49 record, missing the playoffs even in a dreadful Eastern Conference.
Looking back, Irving admitted his leadership last season on a woeful Cleveland team was very much lacking.
Irving told RealGM's Shams Charania before the start of the 2014-15 season:
"I haven’t been a leader – not at all.
Everybody asks me if this is my year to be a leader ... I haven’t been so far though, not at all. I’ve just been a kid trying to figure it out. There’s no perfect way to be a leader, and coming in as a 19-year-old kid and having everything bearing on your shoulders, there are a lot of ups and downs. Now it’s about being the best every single day and not being afraid.
"
Irving had a statistical season to forget, as well.
His scoring dropped to 20.8 points on 43.0 percent shooting from the field. Even firing from beyond the arc, Irving's hot spot the last two seasons, fell to 35.8 percent. His player efficiency rating, or PER, came in at a career-low 20.1, per Basketball-Reference.
Now, there are a couple explanations for Irving's drop in production.
Mike Brown's offense wasn't exactly point guard-friendly, and Irving had little other scoring options to go to. Luol Deng looked like he aged about 10 years following a trade from the Chicago Bulls, and Spencer Hawes spent the majority of his time hanging out at the three-point line.
Because of this, Irving was forced into way too many isolation plays and poor shot attempts. His efficiency suffered, as did the Cavs, with questions beginning to arise about Irving's ability to carry a franchise.
Now with James as a running mate, he no longer has to.
Irving's Adjustments
When first hearing the news of James' return this summer, Irving was all smiles.
“It’s great to have help. Tremendous help from LeBron. To get a chance to play with him and learn from him will be a great experience for me," Irving told Michael Lee of The Washington Post in August. “It makes me feel good. I’ve been watching LeBron since I was a kid, so to have him come back and we’ve had a friendship for a few years, so it’s a great feeling. I feel like we can accomplish a lot."
Irving was just 11 years old when the Cavaliers made James the No. 1 overall pick in June 2003. Now 22, he's finally getting the chance to play with him.
Although such an opportunity would appear to be a blessing for most players, one former teammate of James hasn't seemed so enthusiastic about the experience.
Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers took a lot of verbal abuse from James whenever he would mess up, often publicly and in front of rolling cameras. While James certainly didn't mean any ill will, Chalmers didn't seem too happy about their on-court conversations, telling Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group:
"LeBron is a dominant player so if he feels like something is not going his way, he's going to say something about it. For Kyrie, he's going to have to adjust to that and LeBron is going to have to adjust to Kyrie. It's going to be a different factor for Kyrie. Man, that process is over and done with it. It's a fresh start, fresh team, new year.
"
While James would often come at Chalmers like a father would a son, he's taken on a more big-brother approach with Irving.
Instead of the yelling or scolding that Chalmers endured, James is often the first to Irving with a high five, chest bump or pat on the head.
Of course, the respective talent level of each point guard may have something to do with it. While Irving is averaging 20.7 points and 5.8 assists for his career, Chalmers checks in at 8.9 points and 3.8 dimes.
Even though Irving and James have clicked as teammates, the fourth-year guard has been forced to make some adjustments to his style of play.
James is a ball-dominant player, much like Irving. James' previous sidekick, Dwyane Wade, was great at back-door cuts but couldn't shoot from deep nearly as well as Irving. While Cleveland's offensive possessions would often result in a pull-up jumper from Irving last season, he's now become more of a catch-and-shoot asset next to James.
In 2013-14, Irving used a pull-up jumper as his offensive means 48 percent of the time, via NBA.com. Just 12.8 percent of his shot attempts were of the three-point catch-and-shoot variety.
Now with James as a teammate handling the ball, Irving's pull-up attempts have dropped to 40.3 percent, while his catch-and-shoot three's have jumped to 15.3 percent of his overall offense.
On the defensive end, Irving has stepped up his game. It's funny how playing under the watchful eye of James can do that for a player.
James said this following a Nov. 26 win over the Washington Wizards:
"(Our defense) starts with the head of the snake, and that's Kyrie. He's our general and it starts with him. ...
I think he has carried over what he did in the summer (with the U.S. FIBA team). Coach K put a lot of onus on him to defend and push the ball. He has carried that. If he defends at a high level it makes our team even better.
"
That's high praise for a player who was blasted for his defensive effort the past three years.
Playing off the ball and defending may not have been something Irving was used to coming into the season, and has had to adjust to alongside James.
Irving's Improvements
Playing with James is one thing. Actually improving your game while not having to sacrifice personal scoring stats is certainly another.
Such has been the case with Irving this season, who has returned to his previous high-efficiency shooting numbers now as a No. 2 option.
Although moving off the ball and not seeing his normal usage, Irving has actually gotten better in many key offensive categories, per Basketball-Reference:
| Irving | FG% | 3P% | PTS | ORtg | TOV% | PER |
| 2013-14 | 43.0 | 35.8 | 20.8 | 109 | 12.1 | 20.1 |
| 2014-15 | 46.0 | 38.5 | 20.4 | 120 | 8.8 | 20.7 |
The key for Irving this season has been his selectiveness. He's learning when to take over the scoring load and when to take a back seat to James.
During a three-game stretch of wins over the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks, Irving averaged 29.7 points but just 4.3 assists. In six games since, his scoring has dropped to 14.7 points, while his assists have bumped to 6.5 a contest.
The good news for the Cavaliers is that both versions of Irving have produced winning results. The Cavs have gone 7-2 over those last nine contests, including a come-from-behind win against the New York Knicks with Irving serving as hero.
Playing off the ball has actually been a blessing for Irving, despite being thought of by many as the league's next great point guard.
Irving is connecting on an impressive 44.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers this year, up from 31.6 percent a season ago without James, via NBA.com. He's become a more complete player, learning how to space the floor for teammates and move without the ball.
Coach David Blatt is letting Irving thrive in both roles, starting him with James and Love to serve as a setup man and sidekick extraordinaire. Blatt will then pull Irving with a few minutes remaining in the first, while James and Love remain in the game. When the star forwards need a breather to start the second quarter, Irving returns to the floor to take on the scoring load.
When asked about Irving's dual role as a scorer and distributor, and if there was a happy medium he'd like to see, Blatt told Bleacher Report:
"I'm happy with Kyrie's medium as it is. Very happy. He's playing great. Just playing great."
Although not how most would have projected his career to transpire, Irving is thriving in his new role.
Perhaps being a sidekick isn't so bad.
Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers for Bleacher Report since 2010.
All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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