Kyrie Irving

Irving was one of the more talked about players last season, missing a substantial chunk of games because he was unvaccinated. That decision cost him 53 games and will undoubtedly have an impact as managers prepare for the 2022-23 season. If there was a positive to come from his shortened season, it has to be that he will be fully healthy come opening night. While there have been seemingly constant rumors surrounding his playing future, it appears he will be suiting up for the Nets, with or without Kevin Durant. Irving ended 2021-22 as the fifth-ranked player on a per-game basis, highlighting just how good he can be when healthy. There is no reason to think he won't be able to put up top-five numbers once again. If, in fact, Durant is traded away, that only opens up more opportunities for Irving to thrive, especially on the offensive end of the court. The hesitation comes when attempting to ascertain how many games he will actually play. Assuming there are no off-court issues to deal with, he would only need to play in 65 games to still be a first-round player from a totals perspective. He is a perfect example of risk vs. reward. Given the risk, he is unlikely to be drafted in the first round of most drafts. Snaring him with a second-round pick seems justifiable, and it's a move that could be a real difference maker come April.

Irving had an excellent 2020-21 season, ranking sixth in fantasy on a per-game basis for a second straight season and top 10 for the fifth time in his career. However, Irving continued to deal with both injuries and personal absences, which combined to limit him to 54 appearances. The point guard averaged 26.9 points, 6.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals while posting a career-high true shooting percentage (61.4%) via shooting splits of 51/40/92. He also kept his turnovers extremely low (2.4 per game), as has been the case for the bulk of his career, which is arguably his most underrated skill given his usage. Irving shouldn't see his role change much in 2021-22. The seven-time-All-Star will continue as one of the members of the Nets' Big 3, where he will share playmaking and scoring duties with Kevin Durant and James Harden. It's possible Irving's usage takes a slight step back if Durant and Harden stay healthier this season -- a distinct possibility -- but that shouldn't force Irving's fantasy value to take a significant hit. There's no question that Irving has second-round or even late-first-round upside if he can stay healthy, but his mounting durability concerns must be factored into the equation. Including last season, Irving has missed at least 15 games in five of the last six campaigns. And he's missed double-digit contests in all but one of his 10 NBA seasons.

Irving's first campaign with the Nets was relatively brief, as he appeared in just 20 games due to a shoulder injury. He was excellent, however, averaging a career-high 27.4 points, 6.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 threes and 1.4 steals in 32.9 minutes. He also shot 47.8 percent from the field and 92.2 percent from the free-throw line. Those stats were good enough to rank sixth in eight-category leagues on a per-game basis, but Irving's missed time made him a fantasy liability. That continues to be the story, as he's played more than 70 games in a season just three times in his nine-year career. In addition to that risk, fantasy managers have a new concern to consider -- Irving's role next to Kevin Durant. The latter missed all of 2019-20 due to an Achilles injury but will be making his return after around 18 months off. Durant's effectiveness following the injury comes with some skepticism, but he could certainly take usage away from Irving, who averaged just 22.2 points with LeBron James in Cleveland. Irving's talent is undeniable, and he'll likely be selected in the second round of most fantasy drafts despite the aforementioned concerns.

Irving was selected to his second All-NBA team in 2018-19, which was his second season with the Celtics. The narrative surrounding Irving's campaign often didn't focus on his play, as there were well-documented chemistry issues in Boston's locker room. But Irving performed as well as he ever has on the court, averaging 23.8 points and career highs in assists (6.9) and rebounds (5.0) while tying a career high in steals (1.5). As a free agent over the summer, Irving opted to join forces with Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan in Brooklyn, though Durant isn't expected to play until 2020-21 due to a torn Achilles suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals. With the Nets, Irving figures to continue being the main driver of the offense, and he's finished top-10 in usage rate during three of his eight seasons. However, Irving's fantasy stock takes a hit in general due to his problems staying healthy. He's averaging just 63.5 appearances per year, and he's only reached the 70-game mark once across the past four seasons. Still, he's an All-NBA-level talent and is unlikely to be on the board once the third round hits in most fantasy drafts.

Last season, Irving was cruising through an MVP-caliber campaign before being struck down in March with a left knee issue that led to an early end to his season. While Terry Rozier performed admirably during Irving’s absence, it was clear the Celtics needed Irving’s superstar talent and ability to create his own shot during crunch time. Now, the bigger question is this: Can Irving stay healthy? Irving has averaged 63 games per season over his seven year career. Knowing that Rozier deserves more minutes, Boston might be wise to periodically rest its star point guard in preparation for what will likely be another deep playoff run. On a more positive note, Irving shot a career high 49% percent from the field last season, and it seems relatively safe to assume Irving’s hot shooting will continue, given the amount of talent around him. The Celtics' depth across the board is borderline-historic, and while that could mean less of a workload for Irving, there's no question that Boston is at its best when the five-time All-Star is on the floor. The return of Gordon Hayward could result in Irving ceding some playmaking responsibilities, but the 26-year-old still managed the second-highest scoring average of his career last season, despite adjusting to a new system and playing nearly three fewer minutes per game, compared to his final year in Cleveland.

Wow, isn’t it hard to believe Irving is in Boston? Regardless of location, the starting point guard will still be asked to carry a heavy load with the Celtics. Remember, Isaiah Thomas took 19.4 shots per game last season, only a hair below Irving’s 19.7. Most of those shots will be redistributed to Irving, who will be free of LeBron James' control of the offense. And Irving delivers the same elite free-throw percentage as Thomas. One assumes it will take some time for Irving, fellow new Celtic Gordon Hayward, and center Al Horford to gel on offense. Coach Brad Stevens tends to run fewer isolation plays than Irving saw with Cleveland, so there will be an adjustment period for the two new stars to learn Boston’s passing schemes. But this new roster wasn’t put together to win in December. Expect continuous improvement through the season. And remember, there were many times last season when the Celtic offense crumbled, forcing Thomas to improvise. That’s a role Irving should relish. Expect Irving’s minutes to stay high, as the trade weakened Boston’s depth. And look for some very exciting revenge games between these two Eastern division rivals, beginning in Cleveland on Opening Night (Oct. 17).

After missing the first 24 games of the season while recovering from surgery to repair a fractured kneecap, Irving initially struggled to regain his All-Star form, averaging 16.4 points and 3.8 assists while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and just 25.3 percent from three-point range through his first 20 games back. However, the dynamic point guard eventually hit his stride, posting averages of 21.6 points and 5.2 assists over the season's final 33 games. In that same span, Irving converted 46 percent of his field goals and 35 percent of his three-point attempts, helping the Cavaliers secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Irving was spectacular in the postseason, shooting nearly 48 percent from the floor and knocking down 44 percent of his treys. While he was relatively quiet in Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals, Irving put up 30.8 points, 4.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game over the remaining five games, headlined by a 41-point, six-assist performance in a Game 5 victory that sent the series back to Cleveland. Additionally, Irving memorably knocked down the game-winning three-pointer over the Warriors' Stephen Curry late in Game 7, solidifying his place as one of the NBA's premier point guards. On the heels of strong showing with the United States team in the 2016 Summer Olympics, Irving will enter 2016-17 as a candidate to make the leap toward true superstar status. While it would be foolish to underestimate LeBron James, it's reasonable to think the reigning Finals MVP could coast during the regular season, which would open the door for Irving to take on even more of a lead role offensively. If he can continue to score efficiently and return to being a 40-percent three-point shooter, Irving should have no problem reclaiming his spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

After three seasons of wallowing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Irving was able to enjoy a highly-successful season as LeBron James' wingman. The 6-3 guard played in a career-high 75 games and put up his best field goal percentage (47 percent) and three-point conversion rate (42 percent for 2.1 three-pointers per game) during the regular season with averages of 21.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks. Irving was unable to stay away from the injury bug in the playoffs, and his first postseason ended in the opening game of the Finals with a fractured left kneecap. He is not expected to be ready for the start of the 2015-16 season, and injuries continue to be a concern for the fifth-year guard. It may be that coach David Blatt will need to monitor Irving's minutes since he played 36 per game last season. With Mo Williams and Matthew Dellavedova coming off the bench, Irving may be best served to play closer to 30 minutes rather than 35, so the three-time All-Star can survive the season unscathed. He is just 23 years old, so he should be able to continue to put up excellent numbers across the board when he's healthy, but that may not be until January.

Kyrie Irving took a slight step back in his third year in the league in 2013-14, but the All-Star point guard steps into a new world this season with the addition of LeBron James to the squad. Irving played a career-high 71 games and averaged 35 minutes, quelling some of the durability concerns that had plagued him in his first two seasons. His averages of 20.8 points on 43 percent shooting from the field and 1.7 three-pointers on 36 percent shooting from long range were all down a tick from his second season. Irving also provided 3.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. He hit 86 percent of his free throws. With James and Kevin Love on the team, Irving will need to adjust to not always being the focus of the offense and try to help his team in other ways beyond scoring. New coach David Blatt will try to install a Princeton-style offense that will encourage players to move without the ball, and Irving will need to adjust to his third coach in four years as well. There have also been concerns about Irving's lackadaisical perimeter defense, which will need to be shored up to help discourage opposing players from penetrating (since Cleveland does not have a great rim protector). On the plus side, playing with better teammates should allow Irving to take easier shots, so his shooting percentages may rise.

In his first two seasons in the NBA, Kyrie Irving has displayed almost every quality you'd want to see in a top point guard. He's one of the quickest guards in the league. He sees the floor well and has an excellent feel for the game. He shoots from distance well enough (39 percent) to keep opposing defenses honest, which makes him even tougher to guard off the dribble. And while he isn't a great defender at this stage of the game, he has improved on that end of the floor and should take another step forward with defense-minded head coach Mike Brown taking over the Cavs this year. The only real area of concern is Irving's inability to stay on the floor; a variety of nagging injuries limited him to 51 games played as a rookie and 59 games last year. The addition of veteran guard Jarrett Jack may help Irving this year; Mike Brown is expected to play Irving off the ball at times, with Jack running the offense. That could boost Irving's scoring a bit and reduce some of the strain associated with playing point guard full time.

The Cavaliers got an immediate return on their investment in Kyrie Irving, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft looks like a real star--and future Olympian. Irving is lightning-quick, has outstanding handle and superior court vision for a player his age, which enabled him to post impressive averages of 18.5 points, 5.4 assists and shoot nearly 40 percent from three-point range. The fact that he dealt with several nagging injuries during the season makes those overall numbers even more impressive. Cleveland was involved in several potential Dwight Howard trades, but the only major addition they made this offseason is Dion Waiters (fourth overall pick), a poor man's Dwyane Wade type out of Syracuse. That means Irving--with Waiters and Tristan Thompson--will continue to be the focus of Cleveland's offense. Irving did suffer a hand injury while working out with Team USA's select team--the group of up-and-comers that scrimmages against Team USA before international competitions--but is expected to be completely healthy before training camp.

The future of the Cavaliers, Irving will make a huge impact in his rookie season. Irving’s electrifying speed, great court awareness and exceptional ball-handling ability will be on display from the get go. He will be one of the top contenders for the Rookie of the Year award as he will produce solid steal, assist and point totals.