Getty Kyrie Irving #11.
Buckle up, Dallas Mavericks fans. With Kyrie Irving in tow, it’s going to be one heck of a ride. The Brooklyn Nets, whom Dallas traded with to land Irving, represent the third team that Irving has simply decided doesn’t work for him anymore, the first two being the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.
And according to Celtics writer Dan Greenberg, Irving’s stint in the Lone Star State won’t be any different.
“Note to Mavs fans from someone who has lived this:
“It’ll be fun at first, then kind of annoying, then a complete disaster
“No, it won’t be different now that Kyrie is on YOUR team, regardless of how much you want to believe it will,” Greenberg tweeted.
Note to Mavs fans from someone who has lived this:
It’ll be fun at first, then kind of annoying, then a complete disaster
No, it won’t be different now that Kyrie is on YOUR team, regardless of how much you want to believe it will
Famously, Irving wanted out of Cleveland in July 2017, requesting a trade after the Cavs fell short in the Finals to the Warriors. But since leaving Lake Erie, Irving has struggled to be the “it” player on a team.
His next destination, the Celtics, resulted in the former Duke star drifting against Boston’s young talents in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. And in Brooklyn, Irving’s antics played no small part in James Harden’s quiet quitting to the Philadelphia 76ers.
But at the very least, Irving sounds excited about joining forces with one of the league’s brightest young stars.
Kyrie’s Thoughts on Luka Revealed After Trade
After the deal went through, Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report revealed that Irving is “ecstatic” to play with Luka Doncic.
“Kyrie Irving is said to be “ecstatic” about the trade to Dallas Mavericks and “looking forward” to joining forces with Luka Dončić, a league source tells @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport,” Haynes tweeted.
Kyrie Irving is said to be “ecstatic” about the trade to Dallas Mavericks and “looking forward” to joining forces with Luka Dončić, a league source tells @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
Add Doncic to the roster of NBA legends who have suited up with Irving. In Cleveland, he formed a “Big Three” with LeBron James and Kevin Love. In Boston, he played alongside Tatum and Brown, though neither was quite the player they’ve turned into over the last two years. And in Brooklyn, Irving shared the court (albeit for very little actual time on the court) with James Harden and Kevin Durant.
So far this year, Irving has appeared in 40 of the team’s 52 games and is playing 37.0 minutes per contest. Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 48.6% shooting from the floor and 37.4% shooting from behind the three-point line. He was also named an All-Star starter, suddenly giving Dallas two starters in the midseason festivities, a feat the team hasn’t managed in some time.
Mavs Get Wood Injury Update
Irving’s arrival in Dallas comes at a pivotal time. The Mavericks are hitting a brutal stretch of the schedule without Christian Wood, the team’s starting center. Unfortunately, the Mavericks expect to be without Wood for a little longer.
“Christian Wood’s thumb fracture on his non-shooting hand was initially expected to sideline him for one week,” NBA insider Marc Stein wrote. “League sources now say Dallas’ Wood, who Thursday will miss his seventh consecutive game due to the injury, is unlikely to play before next week at the earliest.”
The news couldn’t come at a worse time for Dallas. Losers in six of their last ten, the Mavericks are hurtling toward a challenging stretch of the schedule. Over the next two weeks, Dallas will face off against the Warriors, Jazz, Clippers, and Kings (twice), before a showdown with the conference-leading Nuggets on February 15.