After staying above .500 during a 12-game absence by Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks were looking forward to having the mercurial guard return in what looked like an easy matchup against the Jazz. Instead, the Mavs fell to a 37-point loss as the entire team looked out of sorts and with poor chemistry.
Head coach Jason Kidd reacted to Irving’s return and explained why the Mavericks got dominated.
“I thought Kai was good just to get back into the flow of things. Sometimes, there’s a natural letdown when a player comes back from injury. I thought the group kind of was going to now rely on Kai to kind of carry us, but give Utah credit. They came out and hit us in the jaw.”
Jason Kidd on Kyrie Irving's return: "I thought Kai was good just to get back into the flow of things. Sometimes, there's a natural letdown when a player comes back from injury. I thought the group kind of was going to now rely on Kai to kind of carry us, but give Utah credit.…
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) January 2, 2024
Irving looked rusty on the court, ending the night with 14 points after playing 32 minutes. He did try to impact the game by grabbing nine rebounds, but his scoring was way off the mark.
Kidd was quick to take responsibility for the loss, claiming there was poor communication between the players on the court.
“The communication with our group was nonexistent tonight, and as a coach, I take the blame for that. We have to be better. “
Asked Jason Kidd about the Mavs' handling of weak-side responsibilities and accounting for the Jazz's body movement in actions: "The communication with our group was not existent tonight, and as a coach, I take the blame in that. We have to be better. "
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) January 2, 2024
Irving’s return disrupted Luka Doncic as well. Doncic had his worst game of the season, scoring 19 points on 6-20 shooting but still grabbing 14 assists. Doncic is coming off a historic December where he averaged 37.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 11.1 assists in 13 games. This was a horrible start to the year for Luka, who got a 29-point triple-double in one half the last time he faced the Jazz.
Will Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving Figure It Out?
Irving will take a few games to adjust to the rhythm the Mavs had found themselves in, looking like a competent team even without Irving on the court. They desperately needed Irving back and this was a disappointing return, as both players looked out of sync with each other and their teammates.
We know that this duo can look sensational together. There are examples from games earlier in the season as well as games from last season where the pair looked sensational. They have somewhat complementary skillsets and found a balance at the start of the season, with Luka averaging the lowest usage rate since his rookie season with Irving in the mix.
The Mavericks have a favorable schedule over the next week before going through a gauntlet of games from mid-January to the trade deadline that could be the defining stretch in terms of Dallas proving they are a top-six seed in the West. They face the Portland Trail Blazers twice this week before ending it against the Timberwolves.
The Blazers double-header will be the weakest opponent they face until February 12, when they face the Wizards. In the meantime, they’ll play the Grizzlies with Ja Morant, the Knicks with OG Anunoby, the Pelicans (twice). the Celtics, the Wolves again, the Lakers, the Suns, the Hawks, the Kings, the Magic, the Bucks, the 76ers, and even the Thunder.
That is a tricky schedule, as almost every team on that list is a playoff contender, with the biggest title threats (Wolves, Celtics, 76ers, Bucks) also being on the schedule. The ‘easy’ games are against teams like the Lakers, Suns, and Warriors, all of whom have lost to Dallas already this season but have motivated superstars.
It’s a tough run but gives Dallas the opportunity to prove if they’re capable of actually contending in the West or need to look at changes before the deadline.
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