LeBron James on Kyrie Irving: He can be NBA’s best point guard
By Sam Richmond
LeBron James has never played with a superstar point guard throughout his 11-year NBA career.
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But the NBA’s best player said on Tuesday that he believes there’s a chance he’ll get to do so playing alongside Kyrie Irving as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron on Kyrie Irving: "It's part of the reason I came back... I think he can be the best point guard in our league." #LEBRON12
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) September 16, 2014
It’s hard to fault for James saying something of this nature. He’s building up his teammates just like any leader of a team should do.
But can Irving really become the best floor general in the game?
There’s no denying Irving has great potential as a 22-year-old that averaged 20.8 points and 6.1 assists per game last season. Also, Irving’s game will absolutely improve playing alongside elite talents like James and Kevin Love.
However, Irving will need to make significant improvements on the defensive end if he’s ever to reach superstar status, let along best-point-guard-in-the-game status.
He’ll also need to prove he can stay on the floor. The great ones can be counted on for production every night and Irving has had his fair share of injury problems over his first three seasons in the NBA.
Still, even if he makes defensive leaps and can stay healthy, it won’t be easy to reach No. 1 point guard status. The NBA is filled with great point guards and guys like Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry are better than Irving and still improving, just as Kyrie is.
But if there were any teammate that could push Irving to the NBA’s elite, it’s James.
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