The Dallas Mavericks made one of the biggest splashes in franchise history by trading for All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. With him and Luka Doncic in the backcourt, Dallas is poised to be a threat in the West for years to come.
But to achieve the height of their goals as a team, the Mavs will have to battle some fierce competitors, including the new-look Phoenix Suns.
Speaking to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News on Friday, Doncic shared what his initial thoughts were after the deal and labeled them as the Western favorites.
“Oh, I was surprised. Big move. Probably the favorite in the West, right?”
When asked about where the Mavericks rank in the bigger picture, Luka did not mince words.
“Ask the people that do the rankings.” But do Mavs have a legit shot with Kyrie now? “Yeah, for sure. That’s what I think every season.”
Luka Doncic on Kevin Durant trade to Suns:
“Oh, I was surprised. Big move. Probably the favorite in the West, right?”
What about Mavs?
"Ask the people that do the rankings."
But do Mavs have a legit shot with Kyrie now?
"Yeah, for sure. That’s what I think every season."
— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) February 10, 2023
Kevin Durant’s latest move has sent ripple waves throughout the NBA, but the Mavericks have more than a puncher’s chance to come out on top and shock the world.
Can The Mavericks Keep Up With Phoenix?
On paper, the Suns have top-level talent that borders on unbeatable. Even with a nearly 40-year-old Chris Paul, the Suns have the talent to compete against anyone, and will be impossible to stop offensively.
Still, Dallas could be right there with them if everything falls their way.
“I think this is going to be great for both of them,” Mark Cuban told Basketball News. “They can play off of each other and given that both can get where they want on the court, it’s going to put a ton of pressure on defenses.”
This season, the Mavericks were coasting on .500 while running on a system that relied almost solely on Doncic and his skills as a scorer and playmaker. Now, with Kyrie, a whole new world has opened up for Luka and he’ll have plenty of easy shots on offense.
While it remains to be seen if the Mavericks can contend with the Suns and their star-studded roster, they certainly have a chance now with two of the top players in the game.
Let’s just hope Kyrie stays quiet long enough so that this team gets at least one distraction-free run before the inevitable chaos starts to erupt.
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