After a win over the Kings this week, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving had a lot of good things to say about his All-Star teammate, Luka Doncic. They carried Dallas on offense, combining for 56 points in a masterful display.
“I made a decision that I wanted to be one of the greatest to ever play this game,” said Irving,” via Landon Thomas. “I know I have other peers of mine that are on that same mission. We’re all competing against each other. I’m fortunate to have one of the best to ever play the game in Luka with me.”
The Mavericks have been red-hot down the stretch of this season and the connection between Luka and Irving has never looked better. With the playoffs approaching, it’s the perfect time for Dallas to hit their stride and Irving believes this team can make a lot of noise.
“I think we’re both happy and we’re both doing some good things on the floor and we have great teammates so I think this team is special,” Irving said.
While the additions of Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington have certainly helped the Mavericks, Luka Doncic has been the driving force behind their success. He was unbelievable against the Kings with 26 points and 12 assists in 40 minutes of play. In the end, however, it was still just one of many great games for Doncic since he arrived in the NBA. While he is no stranger to All-Star level play, this season in particular has been one of his best with averages of 33.8 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.1 rebounds per game on 48% shooting.
This current winning streak has moved Doncic closer than ever to the top of the MVP ladder but his true test will be in the playoffs. To date, Luka has only made the Conference Finals once and he didn’t stand a chance against the Warriors that year. But now, with and a completely revamped roster, there is growing faith that Docic can finally reach beyond where he’s gotten before.
The Dallas Mavericks Are Looking Dangerous
As winners of six straight games, the Mavericks have moved up to 6th in the West, just half a game back from the New Orleans Pelicans. While it’s not a glamorous position for the Mavericks, it’s preferable to last season when they failed to even make the play-in after tanking down the stretch of the season.
This campaign, nobody had high hopes for Dallas coming in and expectations were low for what they could do. For the first time since Jalen Brunson’s departure, the Mavericks look like a team poised to challenge the Western elite and Doncic could take them to a whole new level.
Arguably the biggest threat to the Mavericks right now is on defense. Since Doncic’s ascension, they’ve never been a good defensive team and that hasn’t changed in recent months. And while Dallas may not always outscore teams like this in the playoffs, the scoring power of Luka and Kyrie alone should be enough to give them a chance.
As for Luka’s title as “one of the greatest of all time,” he is showing us this season that he has the talent to be an NBA legend but he’ll need to adding accolades if he ever wants a place among the GOATs.
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