CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James once called Kyrie Irving the best below-the-rim finisher in NBA history.
That's quite a compliment for a player who is just entering his fifth season, but he's more than earned it. The Cavaliers' three-time All-Star point guard has stockpiled highlights of razzle-dazzle, circus-type layups over the outstretched arms of big men during his 256 career games.
But in the midst of finishing acrobatic layups and the hard contact that comes with it, Irving's body has taken a toll.
With all that pounding and crashing to the hardwood, Irving explained in an interview with Northeast Ohio Media Group why he's decided to modify his game.
"I'm not trying to change or remaster what I'm doing with my game, but in terms of going in there (the paint) every single time, nah, I don't necessarily need to," Irving said. "I'm just trying to avoid certain things like the body contact all of the time. I don't need to go in there every time, but I'm not going to forget what makes me who I am, and that's finishing around the rim."
Irving has endured his share of injuries, but none of those setbacks compares to the heartbreak of dislocating his left kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, who went on to win the title in six games.
Sidelined, watching how his "brothers" struggled to match the depth of the Warriors, Irving contemplated how he could preserve his body not only for himself, but also for his teammates.
His conclusion? He's still going to attack with his array of moves, but he's limiting how much he takes it all the way to the basket.
"Man, I couldn't move last year in the playoffs, so I was thinking about the moves I was making and I wasn't necessarily finishing because I didn't have the balance underneath," Irving said. "So, I was thinking about how to avoid that and, 'How do I change that?' and that's becoming more efficient in the midrange area. I'm pretty decent in the midrange now, so for me it's just about how do I get there in as few dribbles and stay off the ground going in there all of the time.
"I had the knee injury so I couldn't accelerate like I wanted to. I was still trying to go in there. I would finish, but now it's like, 'How do I work on my pull-up game and keep the defense off-balance and better myself that way?' "
Irving said over the summer he studied footage of Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, two of the best penetrators to ever play the game. There was a point in both of their careers when they went to the rim with abandon, but later, they were smarter about when and when not to challenge big men.
That's the same change Irving looks to incorporate into his game.
"Kobe and A.I. started playing around the 5-feet area," Irving said. "Instead of going in trying to finish, they learned how to glide across the lane and shoot pull-ups. It's just keeping the defense off-balance and not being in there (the lane) all the time."
Despite playing on two gimpy knees last spring, Irving still managed to put up postseason numbers of 19.0 points, 3.8 assists, 0.8 blocks and 45 percent shooting from 3-point range. The majority of NBA point guards with two healthy knees can only dream of those statistics.
Many would say Irving's numbers in the playoffs were diminished because of the injuries, but he'll tell you he was slowed because he didn't change his playing style quickly enough. He's not making that mistake this time around.
No one knows for sure when Irving will return to the court, but he plans to come back better than ever.
"I want to be the best I can be, and if it takes redefining my game, then that's what I have to do," Irving said. "It's a process, but I'm up for it."
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Enjoy highlights from Kyrie Irving's 2014-15 season.