Cavaliers Point Guard Kyrie Irving Wins Rookie of the Year Award
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NBA via Cleveland Cavaliers(INDEPENDENCE, Ohio) — There was plenty of pressure on point guard Kyrie Irving when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the number one overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, and he showed he was up for the challenge. Irving has won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Irving won the award with ease, receiving 117 out of a possible 120 first-pace votes. Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio finished second, while Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried finished third. Irving is the fourth player chosen number one overall to win the award in the past ten years. The others were Lebron James, Derrick Rose, and Blake Griffin.
It is hard to argue that Irving was not the most productive rookie in the entire NBA this past season. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting .489% from the floor. He is just one of six rookies in NBA history to average at least 18 points and five assists per game.
Despite playing 16 fewer games this season due to the lockout, the Cavaliers still managed to win 21 games this season, two more then they did last season with a full 82-game schedule.
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