Kyrie Irving was the Great Hope in Cleveland. As the Cavs sputter, his rank goes down with it. Meanwhile, last year's Rookie of the year, Damian Lillard, is now leading his team at the top.

Kyrie Irving is currently one of the most recognized athletes in basketball. That is true even when he is wearing his Uncle Drew costume. He and Blake Griffin are considered as marketing giants whose commercial value is bigger than their game.

Of course, they needed to have talent in order to get noticed. They just have the flair and flamboyance that will make you notice them over their peers.

Peers like Damian Lillard. Not exactly a household name, and noticed mostly by the more-than-casual fan. The same goes for their team. The Portland Trail Blazers had to take the top of the standings before anyone would consider them as a legitimate contender, or before they make the front page of NBA related websites. We can't say the same for the New York Knicks or the Los Angeles Lakers, who are nitpicked with every game.

As the appointed heirs to the NBA point guard royalty, who is really better now?

ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently wrote about Kyrie Irving's slide: "Since Irving's fantastic performance in his first All-Star Game - he scored 15 points and put on a display of dribbling and passing skills as a 20-year-old first-timer - he's not exactly been the same player. Since that weekend last season in Houston when he seemed to verify his status as an elite player, his game has taken an unmistakable slide."

Kyrie's averages this season: 21.5 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds. Points and assists are career highs. He also has the best assists to turnover ratio in his career. It's hard to see the slide as far as stats are concerned.

Damian Lillard's averages: 21.5 points, 5.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds. Not too different.

Another factor to take into consideration: They are the last two Rookie of the Year awardees. While Kyrie came into the NBA a year earlier, Lillard is 23 while Kyrie is just 21. Irving is a one-and-done talent, blue chip recruit from Duke, while Lillard worked his way up the ladder in little known Weber State until his senior year. The scenario is the same in the NBA. Kyrie was easily noticed, Lillard had to grind. That was part of the reason he was drafted low (6^th) while Kyrie was Cleveland's second 1st overall pick in 10 years (the first one left the team already).  

Who's better now? The stats are not definitive but the team standings are. Point guard, more than any other position, is associated with making their team better. It's hard to acknowledge a point guard on a losing team, but they are not miracle workers. Lillard has LaMarcus Aldridge beside him, Kyrie has Tristan Thompson.

Is Kyrie overrated? Is he a chucker that's bringing the Cavs down? Kyrie will start in the All-Star game in the East, where Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo have played a total of 5 games combined this season (all by Rose). Deron Williams just came back from an injury and the Nets are a mess. Who else should start in the East?

Lillard has to wait behind Chris Paul (the best PG in basketball) and Stephen Curry (last year's playoff Cinderella).

Kyrie is leading a weaker team. He is only overrated if they brand him as Cleveland's Lebron replacement. No one in his right mind would do that. Is Kyrie part of the problem in Cleveland? He is probably on a list of 10 untouchable players in the league. Not even Rajon Rondo is in the list.