Mercurial. This is the best way to describe the career of Kyrie Irving. A gifted ball handler who often looks like a wizard among mortals when breaking down a half-court defense.
A former NBA champion alongside LeBron James. And a guard who has been surrounded by controversy during his previous two stops in the league.
THE Dallas Mavericks knew they were taking a risk when they acquired Irving at the 2023 NBA trade deadline. Yet that risk paid off handsomely. Irving is having one of the most impactful seasons of his career, and it appears it’s because he’s genuinely happy with his surroundings.
“No, he was great,” Jason Kidd said in a post-practice press conference. “When you talk about the embrace of coming to Dallas. Some of us have known him for a long time. I think he really enjoyed the city of Dallas. I think he enjoyed the people here, the organization “It shows in his play. He’s playing at a high level for us right now. Again, as a quarterback and one of the leaders of the team, I think his first year has been incredible.”
Irving has developed a formidable partnership with Luka Doncic. Although both players are dominant ball stars, they have found a way to coexist within the same rotation.
Irving averages 25.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 48 games, shooting 49% from the field and 40.5% from three-point range.
While Doncic and Irving are enjoying their basketball, the Mavericks could be a problem once the playoffs begin. Both stars are capable of controlling and dominating a game. They excel in the half court or when speeding up transitions.
Still, both will need to show some improvement on the defensive end.
Regardless of how Dallas’ season goes, it’s clear their gamble on Irving paid off. He is happy, playing exceptional basketball and embracing his role as a secondary star alongside Doncic. Irving needed this move to be a success as much as Dallas did.
Now both sides can focus on winning a championship, either this season or in the very near future.
