DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks were dealt an unfortunate hand on the injury front this season, but when they’re healthy, it’s tough to find a team with a better backcourt in the NBA and when Kyrie Irving has it going, it’s easy to see how it’s possible for the Mavericks to be special.
Dallas ended January with a 121-87 blowout loss in Minnesota in a matchup where they were essentially without their entire starting lineup. The first game of February saw a 129-117 loss to visiting Milwaukee where Luka Doncic once again played 42+ minutes as Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II continued to mend their injuries. That left Dallas at a meager 26-23 and slowly fading in the standings.
The Doncic and Irving combo returned in a 118-102 Dallas win in Philadelphia where the Mavs came from behind with a promising team effort that saw Josh Green and Maxi Kleber provide meaningful minutes. Irving's return appeared to galvanize the Mavericks, who have desperately tried to keep pace in the Western Conference while missing one of the game’s best players for all but 29 games so far this season.
But with Irving back in the mix, and the Mavericks fresh off a much-needed win, the next matchup was full of emotion. Nearly one year to the day since Dallas acquired the All-NBA guard saw Irving’s anticipated return to Brooklyn to face off against old friends Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Irving led the team in scoring against Philadelphia and dropped 36 against his former team, the one he grew up watching in nearby New Jersey, and the one that traded him to Dallas on February 6, 2023.
Although his time in Brooklyn did not end amicably, It was easy to see how much it meant to Irving to showcase himself against what is essentially his hometown franchise in front of friends and family. The crowd gave an effort to show disdain for the mercurial star who left them on poor terms, but it seemed to transform into appreciation of one of the game’s most complete players by night’s end.
While he didn’t accomplish a championship in Brooklyn, Irving had the highest scoring game of his career as a member of the Nets, dropping 60 on the Magic in 2021. As a Maverick, he has continuously shown to be a team player, has reiterated his main goal is to win his second championship as a Maverick, and has had his peers bring up his commitment and leadership unprompted on multiple occasions.
The challenge in Dallas has been keeping him on the court, something that has essentially plagued him throughout his career. When he’s on, however, as he has been in Dallas’ current two-game win streak, he completely transforms the ability and the potential of the roster.
Irving is averaging nearly 26 points per game this season, giving the Mavs a true secondary scorer when Doncic is stifled, and the eight time All-Star clearly has the ability to take over a game himself. Doncic and Irving combined for 71 points in the Nets win, and more importantly, it pulled Dallas back to 28-23 on the year which is eighth in the west.
Meanwhile, the 2024 NBA trade deadline is on Thursday at 2 p.m. CT. The very recent strides should give the front office enough of a push to strengthen the roster around their two superstars, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Mavericks will make a move. One as big as landing Irving last spring is almost certainly off the table.
Just a few hours after the deadline, the Mavs will head into Midtown Manhattan to face off against former Dallas playoff hero Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks.
Brunson (27.3 ppg, 6.5 assists), Doncic’s former co-star prior to Irving, was named an All-Star for the first time this season and has taken over the New York basketball media market that previously belonged to Irving. Channeling his inner Maverick, Brunson rolled his ankle in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s eventual win over Memphis. The Mavs may miss out on seeing their old friend play major minutes as they make their way to the All-Star break, but will have a tough test regardless against the NBA’s hottest team, who have won 10 of their last 11 games.
Whether or not the Mavericks enhance their roster on Thursday, they will continue on their point guard gauntlet as they return home to take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Western Conference leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. Joel Embiid’s injury has taken him out of the MVP race, which could make the rising star Gilgeous-Alexander Doncic’s main competition.
If Doncic is going to make a major run at the MVP award, Dallas will have to continue marching up the standings and to accomplish that, they will need a happy and healthy Irving like the one that enjoyed an emphatic win one year after his journey in Dallas began.
Do you think the Mavericks will make a big trade before the deadline? Make your predictions with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.
