Kyrie Irving’s Superstar Career Arc Is Officially Back on Track

CLEVELAND — Kyrie Irving failed to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team last February, and it marked the first time since his rookie season (2011-12) the former No. 1 overall pick was left off the squad.

His scoring, assist and shooting numbers were also the lowest of his young career, a combination of recovering from a severe knee injury suffered in the 2015 NBA Finals and switching head coaches halfway through the 2015-16 season.

What’s transpired since that All-Star snub has been the ascension of one of the NBA’s best offensive players and the resuming of a potential Hall of Fame career that has yet to scratch the surface of its incredible upside.

Irving is already a three-time All-Star, NBA champion and Olympic gold-medal winner. At 24 years of age, he may just be getting warmed up.

Not Your Traditional Point Guard

Irving’s career has been anything but conventional. From stepping into the shadow of LeBron James to sharing a court with the four-time MVP, Irving has gone from franchise savior to premier sidekick.

“It is my sixth year in the league,” Irving told Bleacher Report. “I’ve been through, I would say, the ringer—probably more than guys go through in their whole entire career.

“As far as dealing with being a 19-year-old kid trying to lead a franchise, or saying I wanted to be the best player in the league and not being ready for it, to just the journey itself, getting hurt in the Finals and coming back—I’ve been through a lot of things that have really put me in different places mentally. I just try to come out from it even stronger, show people what I can do and just have confidence in myself.”

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Much of his journey has wavered between what he actually is to what most believe a traditional point guard should be. His lifetime averages of 20.9 points and 5.5 assists don’t scream “floor general,” a la Chris Paul or Magic Johnson.

Instead, Irving is best described as a combo guard, even if the lineup card says differently.

“He’s not Jason Kidd or [Rajon] Rondo, who can dominate the game with his passing,” Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue said. “He’s an elite scorer. By him being aggressive, attacking the basket, turning the corner, that opens up everything for his passing.”

Assists have been a hot topic in the past for Irving. After a 102-100 loss to the Utah Jazz on Nov. 5, 2014, James encouraged/threatened him to pass more after his zero-assist night.

Since Lue took over last January, he’s put less stress on Irving. Score 30 with two assists? That’s fine, as long as he’s still being aggressive. How about 12 points with 10 helpers? All right as well, given that Irving stays locked in.

Big assist numbers may never come regularly, and that’s OK. It’s how Irving attacks a defense and makes the best play at the time that matters to Lue.

Improved Mindset and Maturity

For Irving, it’s also not about his stats, but rather his mindset when on the floor.

“It’s all part of the growth process—finding what really fits with this team (and) what role you …

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