Kyrie Irving returns to Cleveland’s lineup tonight against the Lakers after missing 11 games with a broken finger. However, be very surprised if the injury, or the wrap he’ll cover it with, holds back Irving’s world-class handle much. Every elite NBA guard has his trademark element, whether it’s Russell Westbrook‘s power at the rim, Derrick Rose‘s sixth gear or Chris Paul and Deron Williams‘ Chess master vision. For Irving, it’s the change-of-direction on his handle and how using his crossover, he can get his defender going the opposite direction with a simple look or hesitation. Irving has played in but 61 NBA games at this writing but the timing is right, nonetheless, for a look at his top 10 career crossovers.

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10. DUCK SEASON

When Duke played Oregon in Portland in 2010, it was to get Kyle Singler a game in his home state. Mostly, though, the NBA scouts there came to watch Irving’s handle, a draw he made sure paid off when he came in from the left wing.





9. ATLANTA SPLIT

Once Irving got around Jeff Teague of Atlanta last season, Zaza Pachulia‘s matador defense wasn’t going to stop him from getting from the three-point line to the rim in two-and-a-half dribbles. I could quibble that help defense against Cleveland’s poor offense didn’t need to be so spread out as to allow an open lane such as this, but that’s beside the crossover point.





8. SPLITTING PHOENIX

The real masterpiece on this drive was Irving’s spin around Marcin Gortat, a move so polished and strong people pay for rides like that at parks. The split of Steve Nash and Gortat is subtle, I’ll concede that. However, when it sets up a spin such as that, it’s deserving.





7. COLGATE CROSS

Irving got in a two-disc set of highlights in just a handful of games at Duke, and this crossover on Colgate early in the 2010 season was one of the many. Because he didn’t play in any ACC games, his highlights came against mostly overmatched preseason defenders. We won’t count it against him.





6. STEPHEN CURRY GETS CROSSED

All alone on an island at the top of the arc, Stephen Curry couldn’t keep Irving in front of him. That no Warriors teammate of Curry’s could do any better given they saw him coming from 15 feet shows how fast Irving is with the ball in his hand. He doesn’t have the flat-out sprinter’s speed such as Ty Lawson or Westbrook, but his danger doesn’t end at the crossover.





5. RUSSELL WESTBROOK AND CO.

One of the ways Irving is so hard to guard is how he continues to pick apart defenses from inside with his crossover, well after his first move. That’s on display here, where his misdirection move throws off Oklahoma City at the paint, too, about three dribbles after he’d lost Westbrook over a screen. Some guards like to all-out sprint at the rim once they’re past the first line of defense. Irving? He’ll just as easily take his time to make another defender look foolish and set up an extra pass.





4. HIGH SCHOOL THROWBACK

I’m not sure this is entirely fair to put a high school defender here (Irving would be a No. 1 NBA pick less than 18 months later after this cross), but on pure crossover value alone this is a shoo-in.