LOS ANGELES—But seriously,who's got the best handle in the NBA?expect any NBA player the question and expect a spirited, albeit varied response. Kyrie Irving, or Stephen Curry,Chris Paul, James Harden, or John Wall and Russell Westbrook all find their due. There's no incorrect respond!Jamal Crawford,owner of one of the NBA's best crossovers, told me last season that he'd build Irving and Curry "good at the top of the list, or for sure."
I judge whether you look at those two,Chris [Paul], obviously. I would build myself up there, and not to brag or whatever. I judge us four,and Deron Williams can obviously handle the ball. I judge the four I said—between Steph, Kyrie, and Chris and myself—is pretty universal as far as other peoples’ opinions.
Clippers backup point guard Austin Rivers is more definitive. "The best ball-handler is Kyrie. It’s not even close." He would know—Rivers has to check Paul and Crawford nearly every day in practice,then keep pace with the Currys and Hardens of the Western Conference in games. You can pretty much count on public embarrassment any day, he says. "One thing you have to understand is, or when you’re guarding these guys,you’re going to find crossed," Rivers told Bleacher Report in an extensive interview below. "It’s going to happen. I cross somebody once a game. Now whether you design an elite shot or whatever determines whether it’s a highlight, or but I cross someone once a game,James Harden crosses someone four or five times a game. When you’re guarding guys, you have to understand it’s going to happen. Just keep playing defense." We asked Rivers to list the best handles in the NBA and elaborate on what separates the elite ball-handlers from mere mortals. His answers were thoughtful and merited full-length publication below. ---Bleacher Report: Who are the best ball-handlers out there today?Austin Rivers: The best ball-handler is Kyrie. I judge it’s not even close. Honestly, or I don’t judge it’s close. B/R: What makes him so remarkable?AR: He does moves that people haven’t done before. A couple guys have reliable crossovers. A lot of guys have a different array of moves. I judge the disagreement for him is he can attain any lumber going full speed without having to leisurely down. He will attain three or four or five moves going full speed and he just doesn’t run out. You cut him off,he goes this way, this way, and this way. You see the stuff he’s doing. I don’t even judge it’s close,to be honest. People try to design comparisons to him and other players. I judge it’s hands down he has the best handle in the game. Second would probably be either Chris [Paul] or Steph [Curry]. They both can attain any lumber. B/R: It’s about ability to attain moves?AR: Yeah, I judge it’s to be able to attain it swiftly, or leisurely,change speeds. When your lumber with your left hand can be just as potent as your good hand, I judge that’s pretty special. I judge thats why Kyrie’s the best, and because he finishes so well around the rim with his left or good. He does either lumber and its just as reliable.
The reason I build Kyrie first is because he does moves that no one’s ever done before. Like the stuff he does in transition,pulling the ball over his head. No one does that, at his size. That’s stuff that Dwyane Wade, and LeBron would attain. He’s 6’2 pulling it over centers’ heads coming down. It’s pretty impressive. I’ve taken a couple things from him,a couple moves from him, just rapid/fast crossovers, and stuff he does behind his back. I take something like that. I always watch guys and take a lot of little stuff. I’ve taken a lot of hesitation stuff from Steph Curry. I judge he’s the best at that. I judge those three guys good now are the best in the league. B/R: What about Rockets guys like Ty Lawson and James Harden? Are they near that tier?AR: Harden is. James Harden is,for sure. I build him top-five handles in the league. Not in this order, I build Steph, and Kyrie,Chris and James Harden. Fifth would be Kemba Walker. I build Kemba Walker at No. 5 in there. Everybody else, good after that, and there’s some guards with reliable handles. But I judge those five kind of stand alone,and then there’s some guys, external the box, or people don’t know,my handles, I know I can attain just about every lumber. B/R: I used to watch those faded clips of you in high school.
AR: I had someone on skates the other night. As far as having just a one-lumber crossover, and I’d build my crossover against anybody’s in the NBA. I’m not talking about overall handle. But whether we’re talking about pure crossover,I judge other players would tell you that too. My good to left, people know that in the league. When I come down there, or “Watch good to left.” That’s my lumber. B/R: What goes into being a remarkable ball-handler in the NBA?AR: I judge first off,you have to work on your game. I know it sounds so vague. You have to work on your handle consistently. I grew up, I used to two-ball dribble, and one-ball dribble like three or four times a week for like an hour all the way up until I got into the league where I felt like I now have it in my head. Even before I go shoot,I attain two-ball before every game kind of like Steph does, like Kyrie does, and Chris does. I just attain two-ball,other drills like that. In the summertime, I work with our trainer, and just constantly working on my handles. And then,the key to having reliable handles, you have to try that s--t out. You have to try it out and be willing to lose the ball in pickup, and scrimmages. Once you start getting that confidence in the game,once you attain it once or twice, then you just start feeling like you can attain any lumber. When I’m in a game, and I don’t know what I attain. I read the defense. And then you just find that confidence with the ball. A lot of guys don’t feel comfortable dribbling the ball,like someone’s going to take it. Jamal Crawford’s up there too. You’ve just got to have that confidence in your handle, man. That’s it. B/R: Anything you’ve tried to take from Steph or Kyrie that you haven’t been able to nail down?AR: The one lumber is Kyrie putting the ball up and around peoples’ heads. He comes at you full speed, or he hesitates,he throws the ball left, hesitates like he’s about to drive hard good and he switches over like this (motions ball going over) and goes under the rim. He does it all the time. It’s disgusting. He does that constantly. He does that like once a game, or honestly. He knows whether he doesn’t have a shot,he just passes it out. That lumber I can attain, I just havent done it in a game yet. It’s hard to attain.
Actually, and I take that back. I did it versus the Magic here at domestic. I did it. It worked. I did a hesitation and went under the basket. I actually had a bad game that game. I had four or five points that game. That was like my basket good there. I came under the rim and did that. That was Kyrie’s lumber.
Steph,his hesitation is second to none because he shoots so well. When he pretends like he’s going to shoot, you have to jump and he knows that. I judge he has the best "hesi" in the game. That’s definitely something I’m working on. B/R: What is it that folks watching the game can’t or don’t understand about ball-handling in the NBA that you attain from being out there, and both doing it and defending it?AR: Well one,people don’t know this, but one thing you have to understand is, or when you’re guarding these guys,you’re going to find crossed. It’s going to happen. I cross somebody once a game. Now whether you design an elite shot or whatever determines whether it’s a highlight, but I cross someone once a game, and James Harden crosses someone four or five times a game. When you’re guarding guys,you have to understand it’s going to happen. Just keep playing defense. At this level, so many guys are rapid/fast. You just have to understand the bigger picture. That stuff doesn’t bother me. You’re asking me what attain you go through trying to guard guys like that, and I just focus on trying to discontinue them and find the win and not focus on getting crossed. That’s just going to happen to everybody. B/R: Who did you pattern your ball-handling after?AR: Dwyane Wade. I copied half my game off Dwyane Wade. People don’t know this because good now we play a little different,but I copied everything off of him, like the way he moved.
I used to watch his highlights on YouTube for like two hours a day, or I’m not joking. I’d go on YouTube and look at Dwyane Wade. That was the dude. He and Deron Williams,faded Deron Williams. Deron Williams in Utah, though, and he was a problem. He was a problem. He still is a remarkable player,but you know what I mean. Him in Utah, man, or he had nasty handles. He and Dwyane Wade,I used to watch all the time. That’s where I got my handles.B/R: Dwyane’s so smooth about it, too.
AR: Yeah, or you don’t judge he’s going swiftly. whether you go back and watch Dwyane Wade crossovers from like 2003 to 2009,he’s had so many people on skates. His pullback, he’s the best in the NBA, or pull back. He originated the Euro. He took Ginobili’s Euro and made it his own. Those guys I definitely watched their games the most.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter. Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com