In a segment on ‘Inside the NBA’ this week, Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal dropped a bombshell take on the star-studded duo in Dallas. According to O’Neal, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving cannot win a title together with the Mavericks for the simple reason that their games are far too similar.
“If you look at all the historical great one-two punches, they all fed off each other. Jordan was gonna have the ball and Scottie was gonna fill in,” said O’Neal. “Kobe was gonna do what he does, then throw it to Shaq. We fed off each other. These two guys, in my opinion, they’re the same player. They need the ball, 9, 10, 11 seconds, dribble between your legs and it’s ‘your turn my turn.’ I don’t think you’re gonna win like that. One of those guys is gonna have to learn how to play without the ball. But when you have two guys that are doing the same thing… I don’t think it’s gonna work.”
As part of, arguably, the greatest one-two punch in NBA history, Shaquille O’Neal knows more than a thing or two about finding success with an All-Star teammate. From 2000-2002, Kobe and Shaq won three straight titles and cemented their place in history as all-time legends. Unlike the stars in Los Angeles, Luka and Irving share the same position and they both play a very isolation-heavy offense. For somebody like Shaq, who found a near-perfect balance with Kobe, he isn’t sold that the Mavericks can like this even though they looked good tonight against the Brooklyn Nets. Ultimately, the Mavericks may get a chance to prove themselves soon in the NBA postseason.
Are The Mavericks Serious Contenders In The Western Conference?
On paper, the Mavericks have as much talent as any team in the league, especially with Luka Doncic in his prime form averaging 34.5 points, 9.4 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game on 48.8% shooting. This season, however, the Mavericks’ flaws have been exposed to a new degree and questions are beginning to arise on the potential of this unit. Most notably, it’s the defense that continues to be a breaking point for fans. Ranked 23rd on defense, Dallas is among the worst in the league at stopping their opponents and they allow 118.5 points per game.
Of course, their playstyles are also a common critique and Shaq is just one of many to voice their concerns. As two ball-dominant guards who like to score, sometimes don’t like to share, and don’t like to play defense, the combined impact of Luka and Irving leaves a massive burden on everyone else to make up for their shortcomings. So far, the Mavericks haven’t caught on to his idea but they have no choice but to double down on this core after signing Irving to a massive $126 million contract last summer.
With less than 48 hours to go before the deadline, the clock is ticking on a potential path forward for the Mavericks and it could mean they spend another season chasing the upper-echelon teams in the West. For now, they still have hope they can make a run but things could turn desperate if they cannot capitalize on the talent of their star backcourt. Shaquille O’Neal has already checked out on this team and more will follow unless they can get it done in April, May, or June.
“Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support”
