By james art Kyrie Irving is the definition of a basketball wizard.
His ability to create shots with almost no separation is what makes him one of the most unguardable players in the NBA. Unlike most scorers who rely on space to get clean shots, Kyrie lives in the chaos. He’ll come up with a defender draped all over him, fade with a hand in his face, or finish at the rim against guys twice his size.
What sets him apart from other great shooters is his absolute belief that no contest is too close, no defense too difficult. If he can see the rim, he believes the ball is going in.
As the San Antonio Spurs prepare for their season opener against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at 6:30, one of their biggest challenges will be figuring out how to contain Irving.
He can cross you, spin past you, or put you on skates with a series of swings and fakes. Defenders are always on their heels, terrified of being embarrassed, but here’s the scary part: Kyrie doesn’t even need to do all this.
There are times when he will completely miss fancy dribbles, rise up and drain a jumper over a well-positioned defender without a second thought.
So how do you stop someone who doesn’t need space to score?
First, you have to keep pressing it on the ball. You can’t afford to give him room to breathe because once Kyrie gets into a rhythm, it’s over. The key is to force him to pass early. And when he drives, you need a second defender to help you by directing him to a designated help defender waiting in the paint.
That’s what I like to call it goalkeeper scheme.
When Kyrie comes off the screen, the defender with the ball must go over the top, staying glued to his hip to prevent him from shooting. The second defender, the point guard, waits in the paint, ready to fight if Kyrie tries to finish at the rim.
The idea is to “shadow” Kyrie, directing him to help, but that’s easier said than done. Irving can go both ways, and his ability to finish around the basket — whether it’s through contact or an acrobatic layup — is nearly impossible to predict.
But even the goalie scheme has its risks.
Kyrie’s vision and IQ allow him to make split-second reads. Overload too much and he’ll give it to an open shooter in the corner or hit the roll for an easy dunk. The key is discipline – sticking to the game plan and not getting caught up in his flashy moves.
You have to trust your teammates and rotate perfectly or Kyrie will pick you apart with a series of quick passes.
And here’s the thing: even if you guard Kyrie perfectly, he’s still going to make shots. That’s just how he is. It’s about damage limitation. Make it work for any bucket. Force him to shoot contested shots on high difficulty without fouling.
If he wants to beat you, make sure he has to do it the hard way.
Ultimately, just like with Luke, you won’t shut down Kyrie completely.
The best you can do is slow him down, give him different looks and hope he misses a few shots. The Spurs, with their length and versatility, may be able to frustrate him. But when you’re dealing with someone as experienced as Kyrie, you know he’s going to get his way.
It’s all about making sure his highlights don’t come at the expense of your game plan.