The Dallas Mavericks acquired all-star guard Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets just ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. In the trade, the Mavericks also acquired Markieff Morris and gave away Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and three future draft picks.
The trade caught the NBA world by surprise after Irving requested a trade last week after not coming into an agreement to a long term contract with the Nets organization.
Irving is now paired up with Luka Dončić in a very wide open Western Conference. How far of a playoff run can the Mavericks make?
The Fit
Can Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić play together efficiently that leads to winning basketball?
Dončić is one of, if not the most ball dominant player in the NBA. He plays at a slow pace with a lot of isolation, high pick ‘n rolls, bullying small guards in the post and his favorite move: the step back three.
Throughout Dončić’s career he’s been surrounded by catch and shoot three-point shooters to kick out to whenever he needs to. He’s always had teammates that catered to his play style.
With Irving joining the team, Dončić will have to play off the ball which he hasn’t had to do in his career so far. We’ve seen Irving play off the ball with LeBron in Cleveland, and Kevin Durant and James Harden in Brooklyn. I don’t see Irving having a hard time fitting but will Dončić adjust and sacrifice to win?
Dončić is not a spot up shooter, and moving off the ball isn’t his strength either. We’ll have to see how he adjusts to having the ball less and if he’s willing to improve his game coming off ball screens and cutting etc.
The Competition
The Denver Nuggets sit at the top of the conference with the record of 38-17. Nikola Jokic is still making another run for MVP and Jamal Murray looks back in form after his ACL injury. Denver has been consistently been at the top of the West these last few years and this could be their year to reach the NBA Finals.
Right under the Nuggets are the Memphis Grizzlies, a very physical and passionate team led by Ja Morant. They’ve gotten into a couple of scuffles this season but I love the energy that they play with.
Surprisingly, the Sacramento Kings are currently third in the West. Acquiring Domantas Sabonis last season was a great move and he’s earned his third all-star selection. They’re still a young team and figuring things out so I don’t expect them to win a series, but they’ve exceeded my expectations.
The Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns have fallen a bit in the standings from last season. As for Phoenix, Devin Booker has missed 26 games so far and they’re sitting at the fifth spot. Golden State are seventh in the western conference and have been awful on the road going 7-20 so far.
Final Thoughts
I believe the Mavericks’ ceiling is a second round exit in the playoffs. If you take a look at the rest of the field, the Nuggets are a much deeper team and they have played with each other for a longer time and the same goes with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Despite the struggles with the Suns and the Warriors, I would favor both of those teams if they matched up with the Mavericks in the playoffs.
It’s very difficult to build a championship team at the trade deadline. The Mavericks are putting it all on the line trading for Irving knowing he will be a free agent this summer. Will it be worth it?