NBA Draft Rumors: What the Experts are Saying About Kyrie Irving
The 2011 NBA Draft draft is this upcoming Thursday and it's an exciting opportunity for teams to improve. Kyrie Irving is the consensus top pick and, along with Derrick Williams, is the talk of the draft. NBA analysts everywhere are picking his game apart to see how successful he could be. Most think he will be a solid point guard for years to come and some feel the opposite. Read on to see what top NBA analysts like Chad Ford of ESPN and Ian Thomson of Sports Illustrated think about Irving.
Chad Ford, ESPN NBA and NBA Draft Insider
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Chad Ford is one of the most respected NBA draft analysts and has a lot to say about Irving. Ford says:
"Is Kyrie Irving a lock for the No. 1 pick? No, but it's close. All the hand wringing about Irving not participating in the combine is much ado about nothing. It will have zero bearing on the Cavs' decision. Irving is planning to do just one workout and it's with the Cavs. While Cleveland has yet to commit to Irving with their No. 1 pick and will bring in a number of prospects, sources close to the Cavs say that it's very likely they'll select Irving. Not only are they enamored with him as a player, but they also feel he's the type of player who Cavs fans can get behind in Cleveland.
"He's a really great kid," one Cavs source said. "He'll get out into the community and I think he can help us rebuild our relationship with the fans. The only way I see us not taking him is if there's a problem with the medical."
Ford also describes Irving as a pure point guard and an excellent penetrator to the basket.
What to take from this:
Ford is very high on Irving, and rightfully so. He seems to think Irving is the clear-cut top pick unless there is an injury problem with Irving's infamous big toe. He also has a source in the Cleveland organization who says he can't see Irving not being the top pick, except if the previously mentioned toe injury is a problem. Plus, Ford keys on the fact that Irving has worked out for only one team, the Cavs. Is that a coincidence? Ford thinks not.
Jay Bilas, ESPN College Basketball Analyst
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Jay Bilas is a big time college basketball analyst and he shares his views on Irving. Bilas says:
"I don't see anyone but Kyrie Irving going No. 1, the point guard position is more important now than it was a few years ago. Irving is the best selection at one. Derrick Williams will be a terrific scorer in the NBA, but Irving is the pick there. He's not quite as good as Chris Paul but if you had taken Chris Paul out of college after his freshman year, you might say the same thing. He's not as explosive as Rose or Wall. Is he an All-Star-caliber?"
What to take from this:
Jay Bilas seems to be another believer in Kyrie Irving being the top pick. He smartly says, "the point guard position is more important" nowadays. There are so many great point guards in the league right now that teams without elite point guards are searching for the player to fill that void. Bilas also raises an interesting question, "Is he an All-Star-caliber?"
Peter Newmann and Dean Oliver, ESPN Stats and Information
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Peter Newmann and Dean Oliver wrote a blog for TrueHoop on ESPN and they have an interesting take on Kyrie Irving.
Here is an excerpt from the story:
"But as of now, he's a relatively high risk as the No. 1 overall pick. The range at which Irving could play, from bust to superstar, is extremely large for a No. 1 overall pick. It is much larger than No. 1 overall picks in previous years because he has played so little. Is he worth the No. 1 overall pick?"
What to take from this:
Newmann and Oliver bring up the often underplayed and unpopular debate of Kyrie Irving—the debate that he did not play enough in college and that he could be a risky pick. This is a very valid point and definitely has to be taken in to consideration. Read the full blog to see more interesting points about if Irving is a risky pick.
Ian Thomson, Sports Illustrated
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Ian Thomson is a respected NBA writer for Sports Illustrated and has an interesting take on Irving possibly being the first pick. Thomson says:
"You know this is an inverted time for basketball when a 6-foot-4 point guard is expected to go No. 1 in the NBA draft, held June 23 in Newark, N.J. If the Cavs indeed select Duke freshman Kyrie Irving, it will be the third time in four years that the top pick was spent on a point guard of Irving's height or smaller.
"Over the previous 61 years, the No. 1 pick had been spent on point guards four times, and only two (6-foot Allen Iverson and 6-foot-3 John Lucas) were small guards (the other two being Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson). So this trend is revolutionary, and it goes against the long-standing idea that size matters most in the NBA."
What to take from this:
Thomson brings up another good point about Irving being drafted first—it doesn't happen often that a player like Irving is drafted first (until recently). Derrick Rose and John Wall are the only guards to have been drafted first since Allen Iverson in 1996 and before that, Magic Johnson in 1979.
It certainly puts Irving under some pressure when he hears the above mentioned names. It's a little different when the only company he would have is Magic Johnson, John Lucas, Oscar Robertson, Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, and John Wall. Those are some pretty big names to be included with.
