The idea that the Kyrie Irving trade made the Mavics better and more dangerous has existed only as a theory throughout the calendar year. In reality, he and Luka Doncic rarely played extended games together, and it took months for them to reach a .500 record.
When Irving returned to Dallas' lineup in Philadelphia on February 5 after missing six games with a thumb sprain, it wasn't hailed as a breakthrough moment. How many games will he (or Luka) play before someone falls out of the lineup again and the then-26-23 Mavericks continue to languish near the bottom of the play-in mountain?
I didn't agree with the theory. I thought this was another version of the Kristaps Porzingis experiment, one Dallas called off because their big man couldn't stay healthy. The same was true for “Little Man” during his first year in Dallas.
But when the Mavericks faced Golden State on Friday, it was one of the hottest teams in the league and, depending on the timeline you choose, probably one of the hottest teams in the West. While Doncic was out with a knee injury, Irving appeared in 28 straight games, scoring 26 points in a game-high 42 minutes as Dallas won 108-106 at American Airlines Center. It was during this long stretch of games (Luka missed two games, Irving missed none) that the Mavs earned a play-in spot and established themselves as at least a formidable playoff contender, finishing with a 21-7 record. It was between 1 and 2.
Theory has entered the real world.
Dallas clinched a play-in spot with a win over Atlanta on Thursday night. That's not what the team is aiming for, but it was enough for head coach Jason Kidd to give Doncic a night's rest before the playoffs begin. The Mavericks started the night in fifth place in the West, two games behind the Los Angeles Clippers, but a late rally past Denver on Thursday gave the Clippers a first-round home court advantage for fourth place. At least partially secured. The Clippers have had issues with Kawhi Leonard battling a knee injury, but they have played four of their last five games at home. Dallas has two of its five remaining home games remaining.
Kidd stated that it was foolish to think or talk about fourth place, and admitted that he would choose rest over the possibility of reward from now on. “I'm not going to overdo it,” Kidd said. “You sit down. That's why it's a team sport.”
Irving sat out less than two months for the first time in eight years, having played 42 consecutive games with Cleveland in the 2015-16 season. In 21-7 games, Irving averaged 25.6 points per game and shot 41 percent from 3-point range.
“Kai was insane,” Kidd said. “He was one of our leaders on and off the floor and was unbelievable. He delivered in the clutch, he played off the ball, he played on the ball, he was a defensive end. As leaders, we need examples like this, and that's what he gave us.”
Warriors manager Steve Kerr said the deals the Mavs signed before this year's deadline, adding P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford to the lineup, are especially important for rookie Derek Lively II's return to the team after suffering a knee injury. Hopefully, it will help us have success in the playoffs. Injury. On Friday night, Washington led both teams with 32 points, while Gafford made a huge impact with 10 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.
It's a wild and open Western Conference, and Kerr's Warriors will probably win 45-46 games and finish in 10th place. On the other hand, no player can win more than 59 games, so they will likely win the No. 1 seed with a record of 56 wins and 57 losses, which could mean one of three teams: the defending champion Nuggets, Minnesota, or Oklahoma City.
So Luka and Kyrie Flash will make their playoff debuts in about two weeks, with the team finishing in the top six and doing well enough to avoid the dreaded play-in contention. This at least gives this team a best-of-seven showcase, likely against a familiar nemesis in LA. The Clippers eliminated Dallas in six games in 2020 and seven games in 2021. Luka, Paul George and Leonard are still there, but a lot of other players have changed.
Irving hasn't won beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2017, a year before the Mavericks drafted Doncic. That doesn't mean he's forgotten what he needs to do, and the consistency he's shown while performing night after night over the past two months erases any doubts about whether he can help this team make some noise in the playoffs. Ru.
Twitter/X: @TimCowlishaw.
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