Kyrie Irving is no stranger to praise from his NBA counterparts. Since entering the league and winning the championship with the The Cleveland CavaliersHis peers often called him the most skillful player to play or the most difficult to defend. These accolades only continued after The Dallas Mavericks reach the NBA Finals this season.

Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis, who started the final 15 games of the season, recently appeared on “The Deuce & Mo Podcast” and he was asked who was the toughest player he had to defend.

“Kyrie Irving is probably the hardest to defend,” Ellis said. “Because for me, the biggest worry is defending guys that can shoot from deep. If you can shoot three-pointers at a high rate, it’s like, damn, because now I have to press and I can’t use my wingspan… He can shoot three-pointers, but he can also get to his spot from mid-range. He’ll do something you’ve never seen. You’ll think you’ve got him, and he’ll throw something with his left hand, and it’s not going to hit anything but the net. His handles are so tight that he knows what he’s doing, he knows how to get to his spots. I almost stole it from him once — almost. He hit a crossover, and I caught it and he could have gone out of bounds, but he thought I kicked it. He was like, ‘Did you kick it?’” I said, “No, I almost stole it.” If I had stolen that one, it would have been a lasting memory for me.

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Irving had a terrific season in his first full year in Dallas, averaging 25.6 points per game while helping the Mavs make an improbable playoff run. Luka Doncic his first real quality co-star who can ease some of his offensive burdens. It was a risky trade for Nico Harrison but so far it has worked.

Ellis is one of the NBA’s best young defenders after going undrafted in 2023 out of Alabama. He recorded 30 steals in the final 20 games of the season and should see regular playing time even with the re-signing of Malik Monk, the return of a healthy Kevin Huerter and the team’s acquisition of DeMar DeRozan this offseason. He started both games against Dallas in March, recording 16 points, six rebounds and three steals in Game 2 in Sacramento.

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