ESPN utterly disrespects Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving with recent ranking

ESPN comes out with yearly rankings that go through the top 100 players in the NBA.

Over 150 editors, reporters, and analysts all gave their two cents about who they thought would be the top 100 contributors in the NBA, and Kyrie Irving's ranking may shock Dallas Mavericks fans.

Dallas acquired Irving at the trade deadline last season, and although Dallas missed the playoffs, Irving played at an elite level. He averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

ESPN utterly disrespects Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving with recent ranking

Kyrie put on a show almost every game as a member of the Mavs, but he and Luka Doncic never truly got on the same page, and the team's defense was not great.

The Mavericks brought in plenty of solid role players to put next to Irving and Doncic, but it seems that the media seems to doubt what Kyrie can do this season once again. For the 2023-24 player rankings, ESPN ranked Irving No. 34.

No. 34 is disrespectful for a player of Irving's caliber, especially coming off the season he did. He was an All-Star Game starter and averaged the most points per game in the fourth quarter in the league. The fourth quarter is the most crucial time of the game, and Irving proved time and time again that he is an elite closer.

The five players directly above Irving were Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Paolo Banchero, and Trae Young. Irving shouldn't be ranked above 20, but he definitely should be in the top 30.

He is one of the most skilled players of all time, is a dynamic scorer, and just had his third-best scoring season (according to points per game). Irving may not be the same player that he once was, but ESPN should give respect where respect is due.

We'll have you covered with all the latest news on Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and the Dallas Mavericks this season, so stay tuned.