Kyrie Irving Has Been Key To Cleveland Cavaliers’ Recent Success
By Kevin McHugh
@Mchughinthebean
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers survived the Detroit Pistons last night 103-95 to extend their winning streak to seven games in a row. Kyrie Irving had a monstrous night, dropping 38 points, dishing six assists and snagging three steals. As it has been in most recent games, the young Irving has been the key to Cleveland’s recent success.
LeBron James and fans of the wine and gold were ready to punch the eject button just a matter of two weeks ago. However, things have drastically changed dynamically for the club due to their recent success. Could this be the team we were all expecting at the start of the season? Maybe.
James is not the go-to guy right now. He has been putting up substantial numbers in his past 10 games with more than 30 points per game. However, the man Cleveland wants to have the ball when things matter most should be Irving — he can do it all. His effort on the defensive end of the floor leads to some productive transition action, and he can pull up for threes or swing the ball out to the open man.
His game starts on defense, as he disrupts the flow of the offense and gets his hand on the ball to create turnovers, leading to easy points. He was lights out from 3-point land tonight, shooting 6-of-10.
James will continue to be an instrumental part of Cleveland’s game, but mostly as a scorer. He can also find the open man, however, the magic as of late has come from the 22-year-old point guard. James can move the ball, but does not possess the play making ability of Irving. The next week or two will be interesting to see if Cleveland can keep things rolling.
Kevin McHugh is a Boston Celtics writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MchughintheBean or add him to your network on Google.
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