Point guard Kyrie Irving is one of the best players at his position, well-known for his shot creation and ballhandling. He is currently on the Dallas Mavericks, joining the franchise after requesting a trade from the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 season.
Recently, we saw Irving open up on his trade request from the Nets, noting that he was “never on bad terms” with the team.
“I was never on bad terms with the organization,’’ Irving said, per Brian Lewis and Dan Martin of The New York Post. “I just think there was a lot of chaos and noise, as usual, from the media. I’m not going to blame you guys or anything, but nobody really knew what was going on behind the scenes. I’m sure that people have their sources they go to [about] what was going on and what really happened.”
“But for me, it was the best decision of my career to ask for a trade. I knew I needed peace of mind.”
There is no doubt that there are times when media members cause a lot of attention on what would originally be a small situation. However, it is fair to say that Irving played a part in his own situation with the Nets, as he did not want to get the COVID-19 vaccine, which ultimately caused him to miss a lot of games for the franchise.
Last season, Kyrie Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists during 20 games with the Mavericks. The team will hope that he can replicate a similar level of performance over the course of a whole season.
Some Believe Kyrie Irving Is The Best Player On The Dallas Mavericks
A lot of people view Irving as the No. 2 option behind Luka Doncic on the Mavericks. However, that is not the case for Kenyon Martin. In fact, the former All-Star claimed that Irving is the best player on the Mavericks.
“Luka is the fourth-best player in the NBA compared to that bullsh*t list the other day, he’s in the MVP conversation, but I don’t think he’s the best player on his team,” said Martin on the Gilbert Arenas show. “If you give Kyrie the ball first [in a 1v1], Luka won’t touch the ball. Luka can’t guard this goddamn camera stand.”
This is certainly a hot take from Martin. Though it is fair to say that Doncic isn’t a good defender, and would struggle to guard Irving in isolation, one-on-one ability isn’t the only way that players should be judged. Doncic is a much better playmaker and rebounder, and both are skills that are valuable when it comes to evaluating whether a player is better than another.
Kyrie Irving Needs To Have A Good Year For The Dallas Mavericks To Be Contenders
There is no doubt that the Mavericks have contending aspirations this season, and for them to be among the elite in the Western Conference, Irving needs to have an All-NBA-level season offensively.
Irving and Doncic are one of the best duos in the league from an offensive standpoint, and the firepower that they provide on that end allows them to keep up with anyone. The team has also surrounded them with solid role players, and they can clearly get far this year if the duo performs.
Hopefully, we see the Mavericks make a deep run in the postseason. Doncic is clearly a superstar who can be the No. 1 option on a championship team, while Irving has shown that he can win as a No. 2. They can definitely be a dark horse for the championship, and we’ll see how they do this year.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
