save the season Dallas Mavericks it forced him to get a player to help in any way he wanted Luke Doncic. The Slovenian had another MVP-caliber campaign that was in danger of being marred by the Mavs’ erratic performance, mired in a perpetual battle to avoid the Play-Ins and have a home-field factor in the Playoffs. Desperation can lead to mistakes, and the Texans jumped at the first opportunity the market gave them: Kyrie Irving. Their courage had never been dampened by all the noise surrounding their silhouette, but it was undoubtedly a move they were forced to make. The fallout isn’t something that worried management too much, rightfully so.
Kyrie and Doncic’s fit was quickly called into question. Two operators with as high usage as these two and with such a tendency to thin out might not be very good. Apart from this hot read or vuelapluma, the very short time they shared a team has cleared all doubts about their coexistence on the field. The two stars work when they are on the floor at the same time because they complement each other. While it was conceivable that Irving would be able to perform the functions of the executioner optimally and move without the ball, it remained to be seen to what extent Jason Kidd would be able to accommodate him. such an uncreative system.
In all this there is something fundamental and this is very important to emphasize. Unlike other teammates Doncic may have had during that time, or even other stars who could reach a similar situation, Kyrie Irving is willing to “lose” something to make everything work with the Slovenian. In other words, the newcomer wants to work with the Slovenian instead of doing from the first minute what he has always done. An example of this is the regularity with which Irving tends to come off the screen when Luca goes to the post or act as a blocker in two-twos with the former Madrid man.
Contrary to the experience he lived Porzingiswhere their coexistence depended on the Latvians getting opportunities to perform of game, with Kyrie Irving everything seems to come about in a more organic and ultimately natural way. in just 58 minutes together have recorded a huge A strike ratio of 126.96 according to PBP stats for 97.5 for the Slovenian when he is without his new square in his side. Data that we still have to look at with some suspicion and skepticism, but that hint at a positive line and in which we have to believe.
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But what Irving brings and will bring to the Mavs goes beyond the two very quality arms he can go with the Ljubljana star. And it’s that Kyrie arriving in Dallas allows a version of Luka Doncic to emerge heretofore impossible, and that will be key.
Since the point guard arrived in the NBA, he has had the ball in his hands. On few and rare occasions, he has not been the pivot of the Mavs’ game. This translated into a huge percentage of usage, but also most of your points are not supported. The big implication of this framework is that Doncic is physically punished for the wear and tear this entails over the course of a 48-minute game, more so if he projects himself over an 82-game season. However, that doesn’t mean his offensive contribution has dropped, quite the opposite, as Luca is connecting on 34.1% of his three-pointers off the dribble, the second most shots in the entire league. Figures that fluctuated and that just a week ago were around 36%.
Irving’s arrival in Dallas allows Doncic to play off the ball, get scoring opportunities without having to constantly create his own chances. An aspect that translates into the fact that in these 3 games he has already amassed 13% of his entire season’s total catch-and-shoot or split actions (13 of 97).
Of particular note is the fact that his own 3s are on the rise. Since Kyrie arrived, Luka has been connected 5 of his 7 attempts after going beyond the arc. In the previous 47 duels? he just threw up 35 triple rooms in grab and shoot and with not very high efficiency (40%).
And why is this small detail important?
Luka Doncic is one of the players who cover the most offensive distance per game, ranking among 30 with more kilometers on his feet these past two seasons. If we add to this that it is the sixth player with the most offensive usage in the final quarters We can quickly conclude that fatigue is a key factor for the Slovenian to clear.
Irving’s arrival, in addition to adding two hands, represents a significant offensive rejection in the first 36 minutes of the game. Now the Mavs player won’t have to start the game by scoring it 58.6% of the team’s points in the first half (33.3 vs. Dallas’ 56.8). Luka will be able to be dosed, but he will also have opportunities to score with almost no load and physical damage.
Doncic is a good outside shooter who has had to focus all of his efforts on suspension, more complex and lower percentage actions. A brief stint with Irving allowed us to see a weapon the Slovenian has rarely used in the past:
Also, an indirect result of this is that with Kyrie he has more options to receive and attack because the ball moves more in the Mavs offense. This increases the chances of taking advantage of Doncic’s impressive first step. Without going any further, in his three duels with the former Nets star this type of action accounted for a higher percentage of the Balkan game (15.3%) than the low post or transitions (both 10.2%).
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The possibilities of bringing these two together are nearly endless, and as long as Irving is open to compromises in his game, the Mavs may end up saving their season and, who knows, their project.
Only time can tell if this performance by Luka Doncic as a receiver marksman was the result of a moment of clarity or a change to be reckoned with as a result of having an equally dangerous partner in attack.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
