Kendrick Perkins and Shannon Sharpe got into a heated argument over the Dallas Mavericks on ESPN while discussing if the team could be legitimate contenders. Shannon vehemently disagreed but made an odd point about Luka Doncic and especially Kyrie Irving not having a post game, a statement which shocked Perkins.
Shannon Sharpe: “Who [the Mavericks] got that they can play with their back to the basket? To get an easy bucket, I’m not talking about open of those acrobatic Houdini shots.”
Kendrick Perkins: “Luka [Doncic] & Kyrie [Irving]. When you talk about two of the best post-up wings and guards in the league.”
Shannon Sharpe: “Kyrie’s 6 foot tall! He ain’t posting up nobody!”
Kendrick Perkins: “What? Tell me you haven’t been watching basketball. Kyrie don’t have a post game? Shannon Sharpe, are you sitting on national TV and telling me Kyrie Irving has no post game?”
Shannon Sharpe: “Yes! Yes!”
Shannon Sharpe: "Who [the Mavericks] got that they can play with their back to the basket?"
Kendrick Perkins: "Luka [Doncic] & Kyrie [Irving]."
S: "Kyrie's 6 foot tall! He ain't posting up nobody!"
K: "Kyrie don't have a post game?"
S: "Yes! Yes!"pic.twitter.com/rAUaNQI8u2
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 26, 2024
The Mavericks have one of the highest-rated offenses in the NBA this season and nobody would say that scoring the ball has been a major problem for them. The team does rank 28th when it comes to points in the paint, but Doncic has been one of the most efficient paint scorers this season. In addition, Kyrie has been regularly showing off his driving skills with incredible finishing around the rim.
Kyrie doesn’t have a post-up game where he can back someone down and score in the paint, especially if he’s matched up with a bigger defender. But even in those situations, Irving’s crafty scoring ability leads to tremendous success for the guard in those situations. Luka might be the best post-up guard in the NBA right now, so criticizing his game in the post is ludicrous.
Shannon Sharpe Explained Why The Mavericks Aren’t Contenders
After Perkins’ dismissed Sharpe’s points about Kyrie’s game in the post, Shannon explained with a more sensible argument about why Dallas shouldn’t be looked at as contenders, criticizing their scoring ability.
“They don’t get any easy buckets, Perk. I get it, they won 7 out of 10. But, they’re not a serious threat because they don’t have anybody to match up with Minnesota, the Nuggets, and the Clippers.”
This is quite the u-turn, as national media were lamenting how easily Luka was scoring when he dropped 73 points against the Hawks. So is it too easy for the Mavericks to score or are they only getting tough buckets? The double standard is showing, as arguments are changing in this situation based on convenience.
The Mavericks aren’t likely title contenders, but that’s because of how the team’s defense is laid out. They made moves to add defensive solidity by acquiring Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington at the trade deadline. They have been outscoring teams by a margin of over 20 points in their last 8 games, which is an encouraging sign.
Luka is leading the league in scoring with 34.3 points and 9.5 assists, which mocks the argument that the Mavericks can’t score with ease. Kyrie is averaging 25.7 points and 5.3 assists, one of the best marks for any co-star in the NBA.
Scoring hasn’t been their problem, and it’s shocking to see this be held against them in their bid for contention instead of their spotty defense.
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