My 5 Favorite Modern Ball Handlers Series 4

Kyrie Irving

Who is he: Kyrie Irving (AKA Uncle Drew) is score 1st point guard for the Brooklyn Nets. Some of his accomplishments include: NBA champion, 3 point contest champion, and 7 time all-star. He is one of the most talent ball handlers EVER!

Body type Rating 4 stars: At about 6’2 (188cm) Kyrie has the perfect build for the type of game he plays. The thing that sticks out is his wing span which is 6’4, this allows him to extend his arms wide on the crossover a lot like Allen Iverson. While not the most muscular player like Chris Paul, Kyrie has enough muscles and broad should shoulders to play through contact.

Smoothness Rating 5 stars: The best way to describe Kyrie is slick. He is so smooth with all his moves. His perfect combination of the quick hands and footwork makes him a highlight on almost every play. He has all the tricks in the bag to make a flashy play and score. While he looks like a playground player he is actually maybe the most naturally gifted ball handler when he goes into his drive.

Technique Rating 5 stars: Uncle Drew has the slickest hands combined with precise textbook footwork to create space in dribble through traffic. He is always looking to go down hill towards the basket. He looks to attack in straight lines so as not to give up the space he creates. He uses the crossover to attack the defenders weak foot while collapsing the inside to set up his fake shot dribble. Kyrie is also a lethal shooter who has the ability to shoot off the dribble. This allows for him to threaten defenses with step backs before he drives and finishes with a circus shot. When he attacks he gets real low to the ground while using a wide crossover with change of speed. He will also open his hips and shift the ball to his side to protect the ball from weak side defenders. Kyrie is always on the tips of his toes, this sets up his spins. He is the master of half-spins and full spin moves. He will use them either off of the defender or to spin into traffic to collapse the defense.

Effectiveness 5 stars: Kyrie is a score 1st ball handler, everything he does is to set up enough space to either drive, pull up, step-back, or give and go. He creates so much space due to his low stance and wide crossover that it leads to more passing or scoring options. But what separates Kyrie from the rest is his read and react handling. He is so creative and can adapt to any situation quicker than any other player in history. His sequence of moves seem creative but are more like he is reacting to what is thrown in front of him. He can score at will off of the dribble and can not be trapped.

Overall 19/20 stars: Kyrie is simply the best ball handler in the history of the NBA. Allen Iverson is his closest comparable to a player who can score so effortlessly off the dribble. It may seem like he is playground ball handler, but what he really is just great read and react ball handler with great footwork. He truly is unguardable when he decides cook.