2013 NBA Countdown: #7 Kyrie Irving

When I first started watching basketball, I learned that there were two kinds of guards. One was the 2-guard, or shooting guard, whose job it is to work his/herself open for jumpshots or driving layups. The other guard is the point guard (the 1), whose job it is to handle the ball and look to set up the scorers, including the 2-guard. However, my and Owen's top-10 list is dominated by a new type of guard. Think of them as the 1.5-guards, who can do all of the above.

Kyrie Irving, from Duke, fits the bill of the 1.5-guard. He has some of the best ball-handling abilities in the league, amazing court sense, and he can be unselfish. However, he can also hang onto the ball and score 40 in a night. He's smaller than Russell Westbrook but more willing to get his team mates in the game. And he's quicker and generally more electrifying than Steph Curry, hence his #7 spot on our list, ahead of both Westbrook and Curry.

Owen says:

Makes lots of swishes
Doesn't do much dunks
Is good at long two's
Makes the crowd scream!

We'll get to Irvin's top-10, but first this ankle-breaking highlight from the All Star Game:

Now for the top-10 highlights:

Don't forget Kyrie's uncle, Unca Drew:

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