Kyrie Irving is one of the most crafty and acrobatic finishers in the NBA. His change of speed and direction allows him to score like no one else. It makes him incredibly unpredictable, which is why it’s so hard for the defense to keep up with him. His amazing finishing ability allows him to score over anybody near the basket, including players like Stephen Curry, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and more.

For Kyrie’s entire career, he has been leaving us in awe of his phenomenal finishes. He is unbelievable at finishing with both hands and also has a flawless touch around the rim. Kyrie’s amazing change of direction allows him to quickly shift direction when he reads defenders going his way. This makes him impossible to time. Irving also has insane ball control, as seen when he shows the ball with one hand in the air to sell the layup. He has perfect protection with the basketball and rarely gets it stolen. The primary reason for that is his elite strength, balance, and body control with the basketball. He dribbles the ball very low and tight to his body, which stops defenders from getting any steals. Kyrie knows exactly when to use his off-arm to shield off and take away his defender’s balance. Irving can also finish with either hand, off any foot, at any angle—while also being an elite shooter. He has been shooting 40% from the three for nearly his entire career. Kyrie also hit what some people say is the most difficult clutch shot in NBA history: Irving hit a stepback 3 in game 7 of the 2016 NBA finals to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 3-point lead. This shot ended up being the primary reason the Cavaliers won the championship that year and went home with the finals trophy.

Kyrie is a solid defender, getting a steal almost every game. Irving always finds ways to beat his opponents to the spot they are trying to go to. His defense improved massively over the years. Previously, he only played defense in the games where it mattered the most. Now he is giving it his all with his hustle and clutch plays. He is putting much more effort and engagement on defense this year. Irving’s passing is also one of his more underrated skills. Most people think Kyrie is a ball hog. However, his pick-and-roll bounce passes and passes to open shooters in transition say otherwise. He has a unique way of passing and usually does it as soon as he gets in the paint. From here, he takes a second to see if he can finish; if he can’t find a way, he passes it to the big man. Whenever Kyrie gets a steal or starts running in transition, he decides to either finish at the rim or alley-oop it to the teammate that’s already at the rim. Both of these have worked very efficiently and have shown what else Irving can do besides constantly dribbling the ball.

Kyrie Irving is one of the most skilled NBA players we have ever seen. He is the best ballhandler and the most creative finisher of all time. Irving has the complete offensive package at only 6’2 and his post-up game is unlike anybody else in the NBA. He has an unlimited amount of ways to score and can also be a great player on the defensive side of the game.

Credit: Pranav Parlapall