On Jan. 26, 2013, Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers rolled into Toronto and turned in what was—on the whole—a somewhat lacklustre performance. The Raptors held the lead for most of the game, but could never really pull away. It was 75-66 Toronto at the end of the third quarter, but the Cavs rallied in the fourth and fought their way back within two, 98-96, coming out of a 20-second timeout with possession and 12.6 seconds left on the clock.
The Raptors fell back on defense and allowed Irving to catch the inbounds pass and dribble up the court without pressure. As Irving crossed half, Jose Calderon sagged back just behind the three-point-line and it felt like the whole arena pleaded, “My god, Jose, close out!” as one. Calderon recognized what was about to happen a fraction of a second later and lunged out, but it was too late—Irving pulled up from five feet behind the arc and launched the ball.
It wasn’t a pretty shot, more of a heave. It didn’t splash, it rattled, but as soon as the ball left his hands you knew it was a dagger. It was inevitable. It dropped with 0.9 seconds left on the clock. The Raptors called a full timeout then botched an inbounds play and the clock ran out.
Irving hadn’t even had a great game. He scored 32 points, but it took him 26 shots and his plus/minus was minus-nine. He had five assists, but he also had three turnovers. When the game was on the line, though, and the Cavs called his number, he responded with a great closing stretch of basketball, highlighted by that game-winner. And looking back on it now, the game serves as something of a microcosm of Irving’s young NBA career. He’s had his bumps in the road, enough to make you doubt him sometimes, yet anytime he’s really been called on (or called out) he always responded and then some.
Remember that anonymous GM who incited internet debate right before the All-Star break last season when he claimed he’d take Brampton’s own Tyler Ennis (then-starting for Syracuse, now the Phoenix Suns’ fourth-string point guard) over Irving (the No. 1 pick in 2011)?
Obviously it was just a line, but it reflected the sense of disappointment that dogged Irving through his third season. Sure, his numbers were on point—he averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per—but his maturity and character as a leader and teammate were often called into question. It was the body language on court, the grumblings from “sources” that he wanted out of Cleveland, the reports of a petty beef with teammate Dion Waiters. Issues like these fueled the conversation that anonymous GM’s statement played into.
A week later, Irving started his first All-Star Game and dazzled his way to MVP honours behind a 31-point, 14-assist performance. Yeah, it was an individual award in a meaningless game where no one plays defense but still, it was a hell of a response. In fact, it feels like Kyrie is still responding to that anonymous GM.
First, he showed faith in the Cavaliers’ organization, meeting with the new coaching staff shortly after free agency began this off-season—prior to any guarantee of LeBron James’s return and Kevin Love’s arrival—and ultimately signed a five-year, $90-million max contract extension (not to make that sound like too hard of a decision). He sat behind the bench at Las Vegas Summer League, supporting the Cavs’ youth and fringe players. And his commitment to the franchise was undoubtedly a huge factor in LeBron’s return, which catalyzed the rest of the roster moves that made this off-season the most fruitful in Cavalier history. On top of all that, he led Team USA to the gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in Spain and pulled down the tournament MVP in the process.
During the Team USA camp, Irving admitted that he hasn’t been a leader so far in his career, telling RealGM: “Everybody asks me if this is my year to be a leader … I haven’t been so far, though, not at all … I’ve just been a kid trying to figure it out. There’s no perfect way to be a leader, and coming in as a 19-year-old kid and having everything bearing on your shoulders, there are a lot of ups and downs. Now it’s about being the best every single day and not being afraid.”
It sounds like Irving is well aware he no longer has to shoulder the full burden of the Cavs’ fortunes. While he’s still going to be the team’s primary ball handler, the ball will inevitably be in his hands less this season than it has been over the past three. Irving shot just 35.6 percent on catch-and-shoot jumpers—as opposed to 40.6 when he was the ball handler. Sharing the court with Love and James, he’s going to get a ton of catch-and-shoot opportunities and he’ll have to knock them down with much greater regularity to keep opposing defences honest. He’ll also be expected to work hard not to be a sieve on D. The Cavaliers don’t have an elite rim protector, so—even with James buoying him on the perimeter—Irving will have to do his best to stay in front of his man and make quick, accurate rotations.
Tonight’s season opener marks the start of a brand new challenge for Irving. He’ll be called on to help Love and James lead this Cavs team deep in what will be the first playoff experience of his career. Cleveland is already in the books as this season’s second most likely NBA champion; the thought they could win it all isn’t too big of a stretch. They’ll have their ups and downs, but it’ll be Irving’s progression in his quest to become a true floor general that will be the Cavaliers’ X-factor in May and June. He’s being called on (and may soon be called out) again. We know how that’s gone in the past.