Getty Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
Things are looking pretty dim for the Dallas Mavericks with the playoffs right around the corner. With just seven regular-season games remaining, the Mavs are on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason. They’re currently a game back of the final Play-In spot, which is held by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Dallas is riding a four-game losing streak heading into Monday’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers. Many have placed the blame for the Mavericks shortcomings on Kyrie Irving, who the team traded for last month.
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins didn’t seem to agree with that sentiment. During the March 27 edition of First Take, Perkins, who won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, explained where he’d place the blame, name-dropping Irving and Luka Doncic in the process.
“It’s not fair to blame Kyrie [Irving] or Luka [Doncic], to be honest with you,” Perkins said. “This is on the [Mavs’] front office. I mean no disrespect to the others, but they just don’t have it. When they traded for Kyrie Irving, it was something that they needed to do, something to make Luka happy, to bring another option offensively. But let’s keep it real, the Mavs aren’t going a damn place, and it’s because they don’t play defense. You can have nights where Luka scores 40 and Kyrie scores 30 and they’re going to lose the game. Because both of those guys don’t want to buckle down and slide those puppies, especially Luka Doncic. But when you look at the Mavs’ roster, are they really that good? Are they really a team that can go out there and compete for a title? Are they a team that can go out there and really make noise in the Western Conference? No… I would give about 25% to [Kyrie], 25% to Luka, and the 50% is on the organization and the front office.”
“It’s not fair to blame Kyrie [Irving] or Luka [Doncic], to be honest with you. This is on the [Mavs’] front office… I would give about 25% to [Kyrie], 25% to Luka, and the 50% is on the organization and the front office.”
— Kendrick Perkins
Mavs Encouraged to Tank Amid Recent Rough Patch
Things have gotten so bad for the Mavericks, that they’re now being encouraged to wave the white flag on the season.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor recently made his pitch for the team to tank the remainder of their games in order to get a better draft pick.
“Missing the playoffs and keeping their 2023 first, no matter where it lands, is probably the best path forward for the Mavericks…” he wrote in a March 27 article. “Dallas might’ve made the West finals just a year ago, but now the team has been surpassed by a number of Western contenders. “To make matters worse, Irving could walk out the door as an unrestricted free agent this summer. But even if he stays, he’s got a track record of burning bridges with his previous franchises. What makes Dallas think it’ll be the exception? Especially after this kind of start? With limited ways to bolster the roster, it’s crucial that this year’s pick turns into a real asset. If it moves into the top four, it could be the lifeline the Mavericks need, whether they keep a prized prospect or flip him in a bigger deal.”
Luka Doncic’s Technical Rescinded, Can Start for Mavs vs. Pacers
The Mavericks finally got a bit of good news on Monday afternoon. During Dallas’ March 26 matchup with the Charlotte Hornets, Doncic had picked up his 16th technical foul of the season, meaning he would be suspended for the team’s next game.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the NBA rescinded the technical, meaning the Slovenian star is eligible for Monday’s matchup with the Pacers.
“The NBA has rescinded Dallas star Luka Doncic’s 16th technical foul, making him eligible to play tonight vs. Pacers,” Charania tweeted.
The NBA has rescinded Dallas star Luka Doncic’s 16th technical foul, making him eligible to play tonight vs. Pacers.