Kyrie Irving once again caused an earthquake in nba with your last transfer request. It’s not every day that a star of his caliber and stature is released just days after being the trade deadline, but with the base there are already precedents. The importance of the moment you have stated your desire to leave is very important as there are many teams that need change. Change that the 8-time All-Star could lead and with which the result is always impossible to predict. As Stein, Wojnarowski, and Charania reported, one of those possible destinations would be Dallas Mavericks who wants to add a star Luke Doncic.
The math behind the operation would require two names from a list consisting of Tim Hardaway Jr, Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans and Christian Wood. The Texans will likely have to add some sort of compensation plan for Irving, which will slow down any potential talks.
Dallas has long been watching the market for a player who can help Doncic lead the team. The Slovenian enters the highest usage percentage of his entire career (37.6), which is equivalent to seventh highest in NBA history. A circumstance that can end up costing you an injury or a sudden drop in performance due to accumulated fatigue. The Mavericks’ options in that regard were very limited until the Irving news, with their chances limited to others. which expires but at a much lower level than the star.
The release of the Nets point guard changed everything, so much so that this possibility Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic Sharing equipment becomes more realistic.
But how would both players fit in? Would it make sense for two highly used managers like Doncic and Irving to work together? It’s time to break it down.
How would Kyrie Irving match up with Luka Doncic?
One of the defining aspects Luka Doncic it’s his incredible vision for the game. With his height, he can see passing lanes that other point guards can’t, which must be added with a physique that allows him to get to the basket or play the low post. Slovenian is a ship shooter quite dangerous (49% from two, 35.2% from three) and one of the most effective at clarified (1.16 points per possession) and instant lock (1.08 ppi). However, his virtues do not stand out in creating without the ball or influencing the game without the need to be directly involved in the action.
This circumstance is common in other profiles of his type and is not so much a lack as a logical consequence of what makes him one of the best in the NBA. Therefore, finding a partner of his range and who can match him without losing his essence is not something as easy as it can be.
Yes, putting two stars together will always work better than just having one, but this game is much more complicated than that and considering the Playoffs you need to have a solid and efficient system.
Of all the numbers the Mavs could trade for Kyrie Irving would be one of the best along with Doncic. Because? Because of its ability to they play without a ballto move, find their space and attack the reception.
To find the most visual answer to the question of potential adjustment, you have to go back to 2021. The Nets had just taken over James Harden in the transfer they believe will lead them to glory. Weeks later, Kevin Durant is injured, leaving Brooklyn with just La Barba and Kyrie. In the more than 700 minutes they’ll share in the 2020-2021 season, they’ll post an offensive ratio of 118.9, one of the best on the team and the league, suggesting that this pair had a promising future.
Comparing Harden to Doncic makes sense. Both represent, or represent in the case of the 2018 MVP, a heliocentric player profile, defined by his massive offensive usage, making the team function through him as the sole director of the offense.
While the Nets’ offense during that period didn’t shine because of its diversity, the Mavs’ offense didn’t during Doncic’s time in the NBA, which doesn’t mean it’s no longer effective. In fact, in that 2020-2021 season, Brooklyn recorded the best offensive ratio of all time (117.3). Which was made possible, in part, by the change Irving made in his style to adapt to the change of scenery.
Kyrie was never a utility point guard, but rather a combo guard Someone who can run but is more comfortable in the ball shooter role. In that sense, Irving saw his receiving launch options increase, leaving great results in his playing time Harden with 43.4% on three-pointers catch & shoot. All this while increasing its volume, going from 1.9 to 3.1.
Now, imagining Doncic in Harden’s role, it’s easy to imagine how Irving would impact the Mavs in similar situations. More if one considers that the offensive gravity of the Slovenian would be greater than that of the 2018 MVP:
Off-the-ball production aside, someone of Irving’s caliber isn’t going to settle for being a mere enforcer, least of all when he’s the seventh-best player in the NBA (4.8). Kyrie is a virtuoso of the individual game, ranking in the 95th percentile isolations this season, which translates to a production of 1.28 points per possession played.
The problem with fitting him into a system built around Doncic and a manager who isn’t very smart when it comes to suggesting alternatives is that you could end up with a dangerous turnismo insulting. A framework in which both stars succeed each other in attacking responsibilities without the other actively participating.
One way to solve it would be for Jason Kidd to suggest two-on-two or three-on-three sequences in which both were a critical part of the game. Something Steve Nash did with positive results and taking advantage of Irving’s speed:
So the middle way for this odd pairing to make tactical sense would be for Doncic to find Irving (and vice versa) in semi-advantage situations. This would put opposing defenses a step behind the Mavs, forcing them to make crucial split-second decisions. Additionally, it would either put the star in a position to shoot from distance, go to the rim, or continue to move the ball for his teammates.
On paper this duo can work in the short term, it can give the Mavs the wins they need to cement themselves in the noble zone of the West even at the risk of losing key secondary.
The doubts about this operation have more to do with how the two can fit together. personalities. Doncic keeps a low profile, focused on everything that has to do with the game and does not get into confrontations. Kyrie is the complete opposite. Add to that the fact that Irving hasn’t fared well on any of his previous teams, and that there’s always been some extra-sports issue affecting the locker room dynamic, and the doubts are reasonable.
Dallas needs a boost to change its fortunes, Will it be Kyrie Irving?
