After undergoing hand surgery in July, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is now “doing limited work… and remains on course to be cleared for the start of training camp in Las Vegas on Oct. 1,” per The Stein Line’s Marc Stein.
Newly acquired Klay Thompson is also participating in the Mavericks’ LA player gathering this week, with sources adding that Irving is doing limited work now and remains on course to be cleared for the start of training camp in Las Vegas on Oct. 1.
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— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 20, 2024
The eight-time All-Star was recently seen attending a voluntary team workout. However, Irving is “not yet cleared to play 5-on-5.”
Mavs’ Kyrie Irving Injury Update, Klay Thompson Emerges
In 2023-24, Irving turned in one of his better regular season performances.
He wasn’t as healthy as he would’ve liked, playing in just 58 games. However, the silky shot-creator averaged 25.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, marking his fifth consecutive season averaging at least 25 points, 5 assists, and 1 steal per game. Furthermore, he just barely missed the cut for the 50-40-90 club, posting .497-.411-.905 shooting splits last season.
Though running mate Luka Doncic rightly deserved the lion’s share of credit for the Mavs’ success, Irving play shouldn’t be understated. This is particularly true with Irving scoring a team-high 83 points in the clutch.
The wheels began to fall off during the playoffs.
On the whole, Irving was mightily impressive. Not only did he nail tough shots, he was an intent facilitator and began to pick up his defense. Averages of 22.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.0 steal per game are nothing to frown upon. His .467-.390-.849 shooting splits were substandard, but elite.
The problem lies in how he played in the 2024 NBA Finals. In what his worst Finals series, he averaged 19.8 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting from the field and 27.6 percent shooting from 3. To make matters worse, many of the shots he missed weren’t affected by the Boston Celtics defense. Irving shot 29.4 percent on “open” 3s and 14.4 percent on “wide open” 3s, per NBA Player Tracking.
Now, Irving has to shake back not just from that series but a broken hand. On top of that, there are at least three other Western Conference teams who significantly improved their roster this offseason (the Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, and New Orleans Pelicans). The path ahead won’t be a walk in the park.
The Klay Thompson Show
Klay Thompson was in attendance for the team event as well.
A four-time NBA champion, Thompson is Dallas’s most notable offseason addition. Subsequently, him getting an early start on building on-court chemistry with his teammates is particularly valuable. Having played with the Golden State Warriors every season up to this point, he needs to familiarize himself with the Mavs’ system and personnel. Conversely, as one of the greatest catch-and-shoot artists in NBA history, they need to know how and where he likes the ball.
With Irving sidelined until training camp, there will still be kinks to work out. Furthermore, it’s unclear if Doncic attended, as he’s set to be in Slovenia this weekend for an exhibition game. Nonetheless, Thompson getting a jump start is undoubtedly a positive development for Dallas.
