This offseason, Dallas re-signed Kyrie Irving to a max deal. Unfortunately, the first year did not go well. Can he and Luka Dončić co-exist?
Can Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving Co-Exist?
The Issues with the Luka/Kyrie Pairing
Their Playing Styles
Luka and Kyrie are both ball-dominating guards. They both need the ball to create offense and do not play great moving without the ball. Therefore, they ran into trouble because they both have a high usage rate. Luka was second in the NBA at 37.5% usage rate and Kyrie was 13th in usage rate. Having a high usage rate requires the ball to be in a player’s hand for a large portion of the game, so this proved a problem when both players had to share their possessions. Both players can pass, but it was the fluidity of the offense that was a problem. It was a lot of watching Luka and Kyrie dribble in isolation situations and stagnate the offense. Therefore, Jason Kidd needs to find a way to put their styles together for the best of the team.
Their Availability
Both players have a history of injuries or missing games due to personal reasons. This was an issue last season as there were games they did not play together or both did not play at all. For their pairing to succeed, Luka and Kyrie need to maintain a reliable showing for their teams. Injuries or personal reasons are out of one’s control, but trying to not engage in load management is essential for the success of the Mavericks. While some teams have that luxury, Dallas does not because of the more loaded Western Conference.
Defense
While they both had good defensive win shares, they are not great on-ball defenders. Luka and Kyrie succeed more in helping defensive situations. Dallas was 25th in Defensive Efficiency, primarily due to losing defensive players like Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie,who played good defense.
Additionally, Luka and Kyrie do a lot on offense, so they do not always give a consistent on-ball defensive effort throughout an entire game. To improve their team, Dallas did get good role players for their defensive struggles. However, Luka and Kyrie need to show consistency in their effort on the defensive end because they are the leaders, and it will trickle down to everyone else.
Clutch Situations
A more pressing issue was their lack of success in clutch scoring. The Mavericks had a negative rating in clutch situations since Irving and Dončić paired together. Dallas was 5-14 and have a -6.7 rating (difference from offensive and defensive rating) in the 19 clutch games Kyrie was with the team. It was not only on Kyrie, as the issues stemmed more when the duo played together. Kyrie did lead the NBA in the fourth quarter scoring and was a +19 in the fourth quarter. Luka scored 200 fewer points than Kyrie in the fourth and had a -26 plus/minus in the clutch. Luka needs to figure out the best way to improve in these moments.
The Reasons for Optimism
Off-Season and Draft Additions
The Mavericks made some great additions to their team. Dallas acquired Grant Williams and Seth Curry The Mavericks also drafted Dereck Lively II and Olivier Maxence-Prosper. Williams brings shooting and defense to help aid those issues for Dallas. Curry brings scoring and consistent shot-making for Kyrie and Luka. Lively II is a big who can be excellent in pick-and-roll lob plays with both guards, and Maxence-Prosper is a good option for shooting and defense as well. Luka and Kyrie need shooters and defenders around them, and Dallas addressed that in the offseason.
LeBron and Kyrie Worked
LeBron James and Kyrie worked well during their time together in Cleveland. The duo were high-usage players, yet they Won an NBA Championship and went to three NBA Finals together. Luka does pass the ball, and Kyrie played well with LeBron. Therefore, there is a belief that they need more time together and gel. LeBron is much more of a defender than Luka is, but their playing styles are similar. Furthermore, both duos have similar supporting casts, giving more optimism for success.
Last Word
Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić had their challenges last season, but they have a chance to figure out success this season. Both players experienced success in the NBA, so these players and Kidd need to figure out how to mesh everything together.
