Few players in the league can play the Warriors as confidently as Kyrie Irving, who hit one of the most famous shots in league history when he rose over Stephen Curry for a decisive pull-up 3-pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.

Irving is one of the league’s few stars that gives Golden State serious problems. His ball handling and shot-making wizardry are a handful even for the Warriors defense that can be the best in the NBA when fully engaged and clicking.

“Kyrie’s the most skilled player – well, top three most skilled players in the league in my opinion, one of the most skilled players to ever play,” Kevin Durant told reporters at practice Friday.

Irving will be making his only regular season trip to Oracle Arena on Saturday when the Boston Celtics come to town looking to win the season series over the defending champs after taking their first match up in November, 92-88.

Irving had just 16 points that game, but his two free throws in the final moments helped Boston escape with the victory after being down 17 midway through the third quarter.

Durant knows Irving is capable of an offensive explosion any given night, like Game 4 of the Finals in June when he knifed and twirled his way through Golden State’s defense with 40 points to stave off the four-game sweep. Durant and Irving will be teammates as starters in next month’s All-Star Game

Durant was asked about the way Boston’s offense has change this season with Irving running the show, rather than Isaiah Thomas, who was traded to Cleveland in the blockbuster that made Irving a Celtic. Durant noted the improvement of Boston’s revamped lineup with a batch of young players on the wings to flank the new point guard.

“They upgraded from their position at the point guard,” said Durant. “Obviously what they had last year, you had a guy that was scoring a lot for them in Isaiah, but now you got Jayson Tatum coming in there. Kyrie could easily average 30 if he wanted to. But you got guys like (Jayson) Tatum playing well and Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Marcus Smart.

“With Kyrie coming in, who’s an all-world talent … the young guys have gotten better over the year as well. So it’s a good mixture of vets and young players they have.”

The Celtics will come to the Bay Area with the top record in the Eastern Conference and might find themselves as the favorites to reach the Finals if the Cavaliers continue their midseason swoon. Cleveland has lost 10 of 13 and appears more combustible than any point since LeBron James returned in 2014.

But Boston has been struggling of late, losing four of its last five. The game against the Warriors is the third on a four-game road trip. They’ll finish it off Monday in Denver.