There are three games left in Dallas (Kings, Bulls, Spurs) to at least hang the “play-in”. However, the Mavericks no longer have their destiny in hand since without the “tiebreaker” on the Thunder and the Wolves, they must win two games more than Oklahoma City and three more than Minnesota to snatch a place in the Top 10…
Suffice to say that it will be very complicated. Above all, even in the event of qualification for the “play-in”, it would then be necessary to win two games there in order to hope to qualify for the first round, and to challenge the Nuggets there without the advantage of the field. For the title conference finalists, this qualification would therefore be mainly symbolic.
A draft pick that can count
According to Shams Charania, Dallas has also thought of putting Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in the fridge for the last three games, in order to keep the maximum chance of keeping its first round in the next Draft.
Indeed, this one, who was involved in the exchange of Kristaps Porzingis, is protected 1-10. However, by finishing with a better record than Utah, Dallas only has a 79.8% chance of keeping it, and therefore 20.2% of leaving it to the Knicks. If the team ends up with a record lower than the Jazz, the Mavs would have a 96.9% chance of keeping it.
It is therefore very difficult to believe it as Dallas needs to reassure Luka Doncic. Snatch the play-in, and perhaps the playoffs, seems vital for the club to conclude this very complicated season.
In the event of an early vacation, it is the future of Kyrie Irving that is likely to be the most scrutinized. According to Chris Haynes, from the Bleacher Report, the Mavericks have no intention of letting him go and that’s no surprise. Mark Cuban did not bring him in for a few weeks freelance, and he wants to associate him with Luka Doncic over time.
A workforce to reshape
It must be said that even if the Doncic/Irving association has not worked miracles (9 wins and 16 losses since the arrival of “Uncle Drew” in Texas) and that Kyrie Irving was not necessarily the solution to the Dallas worries, he’s also not the problem. This workforce is simply poorly constructed, with a failing interior sector and a lack of defenders to compensate for the deficiencies of the stars in the field, in particular Luka Doncic.
The big question is above all why the Mavs did not lock Jalen Brunson, finally letting him go to New York without any consideration, to try the Kyrie Irving bet a few months later…
The former Cavaliers, Celtics and Nets in any case does not intend to extend upstream of the “free agency” and he will test the market well. Then again, that’s no surprise since he can only extend for $83 million over two years before June 30. As a “free agent”, he could on the other hand initial an offer of 272 million dollars over five years with Dallas, or 221 million dollars over four years elsewhere.
The question is whether Dallas intends to offer him the maximum, without safeguards. Brooklyn had refused to do so and that’s why Kyrie Irving decided to request his transfer.
According to the Bleacher Report, the goal for Dallas is to retain Kyrie Irving and surround him and Luka Doncic with versatile outsiders and defenders, as well as circle protectors. Again, this is extremely logical. Still, it’s easier said than done because it’s the whole workforce that needs to be remodeled, while the contracts of Tim Hardaway Jr, Davis Bertans, Maxi Kleber and JaVale McGee are still running next season.
| Kyrie Irving | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2011-12 | KEY | 51 | 31 | 46.9 | 39.9 | 87.2 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 18.5 |
| 2012-13 | KEY | 59 | 35 | 45.2 | 39.1 | 85.5 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 5.9 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 22.5 |
| 2013-14 | KEY | 71 | 35 | 43.0 | 35.8 | 86.1 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 6.1 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 20.8 |
| 2014-15 | KEY | 75 | 36 | 46.8 | 41.5 | 86.3 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 21.7 |
| 2015-16 | KEY | 53 | 32 | 44.8 | 32.2 | 88.5 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 19.6 |
| 2016-17 | KEY | 72 | 35 | 47.3 | 40.1 | 90.5 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 5.8 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 25.2 |
| 2017-18 | BOS | 60 | 32 | 49.1 | 40.8 | 88.9 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 24.4 |
| 2018-19 | BOS | 67 | 33 | 48.7 | 40.1 | 87.3 | 1.1 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 6.9 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 23.8 |
| 2019-20 | BRK | 20 | 33 | 47.8 | 39.4 | 92.2 | 1.1 | 4.1 | 5.2 | 6.4 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 27.4 |
| 2020-21 | BRK | 54 | 35 | 50.6 | 40.2 | 92.2 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 6.0 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 26.9 |
| 2021-22 | BRK | 29 | 38 | 46.9 | 41.8 | 91.5 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 27.5 |
| 2022-23 * | All Teams | 59 | 37 | 49.3 | 37.4 | 90.4 | 1.0 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 5.5 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 27.0 |
| 2022-23 * | BRK | 40 | 37 | 48.6 | 37.4 | 88.3 | 1.0 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 27.1 |
| 2022-23 * | LAD | 19 | 38 | 51.0 | 37.7 | 94.6 | 1.1 | 4.0 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 26.7 |
| Total | 670 | 34 | 47.2 | 39.1 | 88.4 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 23.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
