Cavalier’s Guard Kyrie Irving To Be Named NBA Rookie of the Year

When ballot results are read on Tuesday the Cleveland Cavaliers will be home to this years NBA rookie of the year in guard Kyrie Irving. According to sources close to the voting process all of the votes have been tabulated and Kyrie is this years big winner.

Kyrie Irving played in all but 11 games during his only season with Duke University and was selected on good faith by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2011 NBA draft. Being chosen No. 1 in the draft didn’t seem to phase Irving in his first season as he averaged 18.5 points per game, alongside an average of 5.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 51 games.

Irving will likely only get better as his time in the NBA increases, in fact the young NBA star didn’t even turn 20 until March 23. Scouts projected Irving would come out of the game on a tear but none expected .469 from the field and .399 from 3-point range.

An All-Star caliber player beginning to emerge for the Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t come at a better time after the teams second season without NBA star LeBron James.

In the meantime the rookie of the year award is the last major individual award to be announced by NBA officials. Former Cav LeBron James on Sunday collected his third career MVP award while Orlando’s Ryan Anderson scored the “most improved player” award and New York’s Tyson Chandler took home “defensive player of the year” honors.

Also receiving awards alongside Kyrie Irving this week were Okahoma’s James Harden who won the “sixth man award” and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich who was named the coach of the year.

In the meantime there is still more basketball to play and now we can wait to see if Popovich’s award bears the fruit of a national championship.