NBA Draft Profiles: Kyrie Irving, Duke

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Stats: 17.5 ppg, 4.3 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 spg, 46.2% 3PT, 56.9% 2PT

Age: 19, freshman

Size:

• Listed: 6'3", 190 lb
• Official: 6'1.75" (no shoes), 6'3.5" (with shoes), 6'4" (wingspan), 8'3" (reach), 191 lb

Strengths: While he only played 11 games at the collegiate level, its safe to say in watching Irving that there is not much that he cannot do at the point guard position. For starters, he is a terrific shooter with NBA range. He is lights out when he is able to catch and shoot with his feet set while also being a serious threat off the dribble. That ability to shoot will force defenders to go over a screen in a pick-and-roll situation. He's also terrific at getting to the basket. He's not an overwhelming athlete like a Derrick Rose or a Chris Paul. Instead, he has a great understanding of how to use hesitation moves and crafty dribbling to get his defender off balance. Irving is able to penetrate with either hand thanks to his ability to change speeds. He is a very good passer, capable of throwing darts to the screener on a pick-and-roll or hitting a teammate cutting to the rim or open on the perimeter. He is excellent at pushing the ball in transition as well. But most importantly, Irving seems to have the demeanor to be a point guard. He runs a team well, he was able to be the focal point of the Duke offense early in the season while managing to keep two all-americans happy with their production, and he has the work ethic and leadership ability to back up his quiet on-court confidence.

Weaknesses: If there is a weakness in Irving's game, its that he lacks overpowering physical tools. He's 6'3" in shoes, but he does not have an overwhelming wingspan and could stand to put on some upper body muscle. He's quick, but he doesn't have blazing speed. He can jump, but he's not in the same league athletically as Russell Westbrook or Derrick Rose. Will he be able to get by defenders with his change-of-pace style attack in the NBA? Will he be able to defend the more athletic point guards at the next level?

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Irving is a tough comparison. The recent point guards that have been drafted at the top of the lottery -- John Wall, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook -- have been freak athletes. He's not as quick as a Chris Paul and he's not as solidly built as Deron Williams. Williams may actually be the best comparison based on style of play, as Irving appears to be more of a scorer than the kind of distributor and facilitator that Paul is.


• Worst Case Scenario: Irving is as close to a sure thing as you will find in this draft. Swish Scout says that his worst case scenario is Kyle Lowry while Draft Express says a rich man's Eric Maynor. I don't love either of those comparisons. I'm going to go with Raymond Felton, a starter that averages somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 points and seven assists.

Outlook: Irving is going to be an interesting prospect to watch develop in the NBA. He probably doesn't have quite the upside of some of the more recent point guards that have gone No. 1, but that doesn't mean that he can't be a franchise-changing player in, what appears to be a given, Cleveland. Part of the reason that he doesn't have the same kind of upside as either John Wall or Derrick Rose is that he doesn't have the same kind of elite physical tools, but what makes him such an intriguing prospect is that he does have a very well-developed skill set. He is a deadly jumpshooter, he can handle the ball, he can get to the basket going either direction, and he understands when to attack the rim -- where he is terrific at getting to the foul line -- and when to give the ball up to an open teammate. Irving will make players around him better, but I also think he will get better as the talent in his supporting cast increases. Irving is the kind of point guard that you want leading your franchise, but I'm not sure that he is the kind of talent will carry a team by himself for an entire season.

Draft Range: No. 1

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "Irving announced that he will declare for the 2011 NBA Draft. Irving may have only played 11 games this season, but he enters the draft as the odds on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Irving is one of the most complete prospects in the draft. He has speed, quickness and range on his jumper. He's excellent penetrating to the basket, sees the floor well and is a leader on the court. He's not particularly elite in any one category, but the overall package is pretty impressive."


• Draft Express: "Irving is already one of the best distributors in the NCAA, ranking highly in both PPR as assist to turnover ratio, but he's only really scratching the surface on how good of a point guard he can become in the half-court. Although he's clearly a willing passer, the ball tends to stick to his hands just a tad too much at times, and he has been responsible for a handful of sloppy possessions. His turnover rate (24%) is probably a little higher than Mike Krzyzewski would like, but considering his age, lack of experience and how dominant of a ball-handler he's been for Duke this season, it's more than understandable that there will be some growing pains."


• Swish Scout: "Classic point guard with an NBA skill set in terms of athleticism, passing, dribbling, and the rare ability to take over a game. Solid jump shooter and creator who looks like a 'top three Draft prospect,' but can needs to focus more consistently on being a pass-first type player where he excels."

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