5 reasons LeBron James’ return means title repeat for Cavs

4. Kyrie Irving will continue to grow as a star point guard.

One of the bigger reasons that it was a no-brainer for James to return to the Cavaliers next season is that he has a star point guard to grow old with in Kyrie Irving. As James’ prime is on the decline entering his 14th season, Irving has ascended to superstardom after the 2016 NBA Finals. Irving is just entering his mid-20s, as a star player eight years James’ junior.

For James to continue to play for NBA Championships at this stage of his career, he can’t do it all himself, as he will need a teammate to at least challenge his elite level of play. With Irving, James has that and he’ll almost certainly continue to aid in Irving’s growth as an elite NBA point guard.

Through six NBA seasons, Irving is known for his ability to score all over the court at the point guard position and his undeniably great ability to handle the basketball. He’s not a pass-first point guard by nature and has drawn criticism for it over the years. Frankly, he doesn’t have to be with James more than happy to distribute the rock from the point forward position.

Perhaps Irving’s two biggest criticisms as an emerging star are his inability to stay healthy for 82 games and his lackluster performances on the defensive end. An underrated part of Irving’s 2016 NBA Finals was that he committed himself to playing championship caliber defense after a horrendous Game 1 personal embarrassment.

By having James around for at least another season, Irving can continue to learn what it takes to be the star player of a championship team. He’ll grow in several ways as he enters his prime with James continuing to mentor the phenomenal point guard.

Next: 3. Cleveland will maintain inflated free agency appeal.