With the first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Kyrie Irving. Irving is a point guard out of Duke University and will be taking his talents to Northeast Ohio. The Cavaliers had to decide between Irving and Derrick Williams, a forward out of the University of Arizona. Ultimately, the Cavaliers went with the safer of the two picks, selecting the player that has a definite position in the NBA and will be a solid foundation for this team moving forward.
Irving possesses all of the tools to become a very good to elite point guard at the professional level. He has the necessary size and quickness to guard the position well and looks to be an above average defender. While he may lack an elite physical attribute such as speed, power, or athleticism, he does most things very well. Irving has a very good jumper and an excellent feel for the game. He speeds up and slows down the flow of an offense at the perfect times to dictate the pace of the game. In other words, Kyrie Irving is a natural point guard. His passing is well above average and has the ability to drive to the basket and finish with either hand.
Kyrie Irving may not have a plethora of SportsCenter Top 10 plays, but he makes players around him better. When it really comes down to it, that's what you are looking for in a point guard on a rebuilding team. All of the young players on the Cavaliers will benefit from having a steady, consistent point guard at the helm of the offense as Cleveland enters the next few years of rebuilding.
More analysis and reaction to come in the next few hours/days. For now, however, allow me to be the first to welcome and introduce the newest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving!