Kyrie Irving has the best handle in the NBA. Look, I know what you’re thinking. You’re probably worried that the Clippers’ winning streak has caused me to develop temporary amnesia and forget about the existence of Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford. Those guys are great, but I don’t remember seeing a player with a handle as quick as Irving’s. It’s like he’s transporting around the court, getting from A-to-B with moves you don’t even catch unless you’ve got the DVR fired up.
A lot of great moves come require a big setup. The defender is caught reacting to an initial fake and he gets put into a bad spot, and it’s the third or fourth move that actually gets him. What’s crazy though is that Irving doesn’t even have to bother with all that. It’s one move and *poof* -- he’s leaving a cloud of dust like a cartoon character. Basically, it’s the practicality of Paul’s handle meshed with the flair of Crawford’s, and it puts any poor sap unfortunate enough to be on an island with him in a whole mess of trouble.
Monta Ellis has been known to put a few players on skates himself, but he’s the one grabbing at air here when he’s matched up with Irving: