With the 2011 NBA Draft now just a little over a month away, teams that have been forced to watch the 2011 NBA Playoffs play out from the comfort of their couch are salivating at the upcoming opportunity to draft players like point guard Kyrie Irving out of Duke.

Irving, who has decided to forgo participation in any organized drills at the 2011 NBA Draft Combine, had some interesting things to say about his future in the NBA, injury issues and whether or not he feels overwhelmed by the view of being a possible "savior" for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"That’s something that I’ll probably consider down the road," Irving said. "Right now, I’m not really focused on being a savior for any organization. I’m just trying to get better."

Scouts praise Irving’s true point guard mentality, athletic ability and leadership skills; but durability remains a concern for the young player.

A turf-toe injury on his right foot sidelined Irving for all but eight games during his freshman season at Duke. Irving would come back for the NCAA Tournament, averaging over 17.5 points per game in limited minutes for the final three games of Duke’s run, which included a 28-point outburst in a 93-77 loss to the Arizona Wildcats in the Elite 8. Even though the injury took it’s toll on Irving, he still describes it as a "blessing" and looks to be fully healthy with the draft approaching.

"I think it was a trying part of my life," Irving said of missing more than three months due to the severe turf toe. "I was away from the game for so long and I’ve never been through something like that. I’ve never had an enduring injury like that.

"It was a learning experience and I’m glad I moved on from it. I’m glad I’m healthy now."

When he came back for the NCAA Tournament, Irving was forced to wear a special shoe to circumvent the threat of doing anymore damage to that right foot. Now, Irving has lost the full shoe but, as a precaution, must wear a shank in his right shoe at all times to avoid any further injury.

"I don’t have to wear the special shoe anymore," Irving said. "I’m 114 percent, I want to be a 150 percent so I have to wear a protective shank in my shoe at all times. So that’s the only thing."

"It’s not a hindrance at all," Irving explained. "It’s just a precaution for my toe."

As the top-ranked point guard (and overall player) by most in the draft, Irving says that distinction is not something he takes lightly.

"Well that’s something I think about every single day," Irving said. "That’s something I work for every single day just to uphold that position. But it just really proves that – you know, no offense to the guys that were ranked ahead of me – in high school I wasn’t the best point guard in the class but I was working hard every single day to be in that spot.

"Now that I’m there, I want to stay there for a while. So that’s what I work for every single day."

With the heavy supply of quality point guards coming out of the draft in recent years (Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and John Wall this past season just to name a few), many wonder whether Irving has the chops to be considered in that category coming out of college. 

"Right now I’m not sure," Irving said when asked if he felt he could make a similar impact of some of the elite point guards in today’s NBA. "Right now I’m just working towards doing that. I’m trying to take the steps that they took, or just trying to emulate their journey and trying to work as hard as I can every day in the gym."

{AUTHOR_BOX}Many pundits are categorizing the 2011 NBA Draft as one of the weakest in terms of overall talent in years. As the projected number one overall pick, Irving says those criticisms aren’t something he takes exception to.

"I really don’t pay attention to that," Irving said. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Just having the honor of getting drafted is a goal in itself that many people dream about and it’s come to fruition for me so I’m not really paying attention to whether people are calling this a weak or strong draft."

In talking to Irving, it’s apparent that the 19-year old doesn’t exactly have the attitude of your average teenager — especially that of a teenager expecting to go number one overall in the NBA Draft. The young point guard comes across as humble, respectful and very thoughtful in his responses to reporter’s questions.

"I talk like I’m a seasoned veteran," Irving said with a smirk, "but I’ve only been out of high school for a year."

As of today, Irving says he hasn’t met with any teams or had any private workouts; although he says he will speak to his agent and figure out his plan of attack over the next week. None of that really matters, though, as it would be a shock to just about everyone that follows basketball if the Cavaliers didn’t scoop him up with the first overall pick.

Weak draft or otherwise, Irving has all the tools, when healthy, to be a spectacular player in the NBA for years to come.