Storyline: Kyrie Irving’s 41-point outburst helped propel the Cavs to a win in Game 5. Irving is that good, a solid illustration of how “big has become small” in today’s NBA. Written by Prateek Kansal, Delhi, India
The NBA has become a small man’s game. Point Guards are a dominant force in the League today. Speed, agility, and three-point shooting has made it so. Games are changed and decided in the space of a few minutes, and the player with the ball in his hands has the best chance of deciding things. Gone are the days when PGs were passers, not scorers.
Courtesy: Sporting News
Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, John Wall, Tony Parker, Damian Lillard are dominant scorers, too. They can shoot the threes, drive inside, finish at the bucket, score mid-range jumpers and assist, all while showing amazing ball handling skills and orchestrating team play. Every move, every fast break, every point seems to be coming from or through them.
It seems like a distant past when Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and other traditional big men were game changers. It’s an even longer long time ago when guys like Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dominated the game.
But, today, only players like Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins are alphas. Otherwise, forwards and guards are ruling the roost. With the advent of the three-point shot and the development of the point forward position–taken to a new level by LeBron James–small ball has been cemented in the NBA. Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan were pioneers, dominating games by playing different positions and doing multiple things.
And one of those who’s playing out of his skin is Kyrie Irving. His talent has never been doubted or has his skill or temperament. But now that he finally has a team around him, he can legitimately challenge for the NBA title. It isn’t easy playing alongside LeBron, who’s such a dominant, special player. But Kyrie has adjusted remarkably.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
Irving has repeatedly taken over games, sometimes without warning, to carry Cleveland–sometimes with James and sometimes without him. One player can’t win the League, butt his performance level makes you think that this may just be the year to take the ultimate prize, both individually and for the Cavs.
His ball handling has never been questioned. He can shoot and drive by players and finish at the rim. But it’s his scoring outbursts that make Irving the most dangerous player in the League. When Kyrie gets hot, I’m not sure anyone in the NBA can match him one-on-one. Irving shoots threes, drives the lane, and takes the game away — all in a matter of minutes. None of it is forced, either.
While the best player in the league may still be a small forward, there can be no denying that the NBA is now a small man’s game. And Kyrie Irving may just be the guy who rules the roost.
