Damian Lillard names Kyrie Irving while discussing toughest 1-on-1 matchups: ‘You could guard him perfect and he still make it, either hand’

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard had some major praise for Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving when discussing some of the toughest players to guard in the NBA.

“I think just one on one, I’d say Kyrie a tough matchup,” Lillard said. “Kyrie just a tough – ‘cause you could guard him perfect and he still make it, either hand, bumpin’ him. He just – and he’ll do it when it don’t look like it’s hard, too.”

Lillard said that Irving making tough shots can turn into him “making every shot,” a testament to just how skilled Irving is as a scorer.

Irving, an eight-time All-Star, has averaged over 20 points per game in 11 of his 13 seasons in the NBA, and even as a rookie, he averaged 18.5 points per game on his way to winning the Rookie of the Year award.

Lillard, who is a pretty impressive scorer himself, clearly respects Irving’s commitment to his craft and his ability to score at the highest level.

Last season, Irving averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc for Dallas. Playing alongside an MVP candidate in Luka Doncic, Irving had one of his best 3-point shooting seasons of his career.

The 2016 NBA champion is a volume scorer, but he does it extremely efficiently as well, shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from 3-point range for his NBA career. While Irving didn’t make an All-Star team in the 2023-24 season, he certainly should be in the conversation in the 2024-25 season if he can stay healthy.

There’s a chance that Lillard and Irving could match up in the NBA Finals in the 2024-25 season if the Bucks and Mavericks can make it out of their respective conferences in the playoffs.

Lillard is entering his second season in Milwaukee after he was acquired in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He and the Bucks were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs last season.

It’s cool to see Lillard giving Irving, one of the best guards of their generation in the NBA, his flowers at this stage in his career.