“Dallas gave me a chance to just focus on the main thing, which is being the best basketball player…” -Kyrie Irving #MFFL @ElijvhSmith
When Kyrie Irving joined the Dallas Mavericks last season, people expected immediately impressive results. Unfortunately, the team floundered toward the end of the season and didn't even reach the Play-In Tournament.
But this season things are looking much better and the pairing of Irving and Doncic seems to be doing well.
Speaking about Doncic, Irving gave him the highest praise, saying, "He’s a winner. I’m a winner. He’s a big gamer. I’m a big gamer. We like going against the best. That’s where I feel like we connect."
Irving went on: "We help each other grow as people, and then the basketball part is the easy part. I needed mentors when I was growing up in the league, so I feel like that’s the role I play here, being a very young mentor to Luka [and] to all our guys."
Irving is indeed having a very strong season alongside Doncic. He is putting up 25.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Those numbers are actually a dip down from what he was producing last year but he seems to fit into Dalla's lineup a lot better in 2023-24.
The Mavericks are also looking better this year, although they are not without their struggles. They are currently the sixth team in the Western Conference and hold a 24-18 record. After a red-hot start, they have come back down to Earth a bit but they are still in contention for a playoff spot if they continue to play like this.
When Irving joined the team, some fans wondered how long he'd remain in Dallas. Would he only be there for just one season before departing for another team? Now it seems clear that he is devoted to the Mavericks and also very happy and proud to play alongside Doncic.
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