Kyrie Irving: A Long Road to Greatness

Kyrie Irving has already started
drawing comparisons to Chris Paul/

 When David Stern walks onto the stage at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, it is widely expected the first name we here will be Kyrie Irving, the freshman PG out of Duke. Irving at 6'3 191 lbs, has the size to be a terrific PG in the NBA, and he has the skills to go along with it. He is a "true"PG by today's NBA standards who can shoot the 3, pass the ball with precision, and be a general on the floor. His skills are unquestioned, his desire is there, but yet the dark cloud still follows him wherever he goes.
 
  Going into his freshman season he was ready to dominate the college game, and he did that averaging 17 ppg and 5 apg in just his first 8 games. His season was cut short soon after suffering a toe injury in the 2nd half of a game vs. Butler. He would miss the rest of the regular season resting and rehabbing. He finally came back in the 2nd round of March Madness against Hampton. In his first game back, he was limited to 20 minutes, but in that time managed to score 14 points. He went on to play in Dukes next 2 games scoring a total 39 points in 52 minutes. His stock was again on the rise, and he was now looking like a sure fire Top 5 pick. Then after seeing big names like Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, and Terrence Jones he was now a lock to go in the Top 2. It was then time for him to go to work and show teams that he was 100% healthy, and he could be the best PG down the road

   Kyrie Irving surprised many scouts and basketball experts when he decided not to participate in any of the athletic workouts during the NBA Combine in Chicago. This left many wondering if the ankle was truly healthy, many also started to question his decision making. In the end it came down to him being confident he had already proved himself enough, and that he should focus more on interviewing with teams and presenting himself more as a person. It was a rare decision, but one that will end up not hurting him.
 
   Irving is a tremendously talented player who can do everything you could ask for in a PG. The two biggest question marks are ability to stay healthy and can he add more strength to handle the bigger, and tougher players in the NBA. He only played in 11 games as a freshman, leaving many to wonder how long will the transition take to go from essentially high school to the NBA, while also dealing with the pressure of being the 1st overall pick. It will be tough but if you look back on the life Irving has lifted, dealing with adversity is nothing new. When he was 4 years old his mother Elizabeth passed away with health problems. Leaving his father to raise him along with help from his 2 aunts. Kyrie and his father pulled through it and it made them stronger and here they are today  preparing to hear Kyrie Irving's name called with the 1st overall pick.

   In my mind if you had to build a perfect PG who you could build around and watch him develop, Kyrie Irving is the player I would take. His experiences in life, his high character, his skills on the court, and his ability to be a leader and a role model. Many will look at his toe injury as a health concern, I see it as a rare occurrence. If the Cavaliers select Kyrie Irving with the 1st overall pick it will be the best decision they have made in the clubs history, and they will reap the benefits of him both as a player and a person. We will all be witnesses to Kyrie Irving throughout his career, and it will be fun to watch.