Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks had an unusual postseason because he played a different role in each round. He started off strong against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, changing the game at both ends of the court. In the semifinals, he had to be more of a facilitator. Finally, in the Western Conference Finals, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Irving’s focus was on scoring, with an average of 22.8 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on a.485-.421-.828 shooting split. Irving wasn’t the only headline-grabber, though, as he was receiving high marks for his maturity. It wouldn’t be unfair to say he was on his way.
That’s when things started to become worse. Irving averaged 19.8 points and 5.0 assists per game in the 2024 NBA Finals, but he only made 41.4 percent of his field goals and 27.6 percent of his three-pointers. He had trouble with the ball pressure applied by the Boston Celtics. He was not able to take consistent advantage of his opportunities.
Mavs’ Kyrie Irving Speaks Mind About Finals Loss
While streaming on Twitch, the 2016 NBA champion spoke about the his last Finals appearance. As expected, he was transparent and accountable.
“Last year was definitely a disappointing year from the standpoint of not winning the Finals as a team and coming up short,” Irving admits. “We got there for a reason, you know? Blood is definitely in the water.”
“I will always accept responsibility for my actions. I am the first to do it. I didn’t play my best towards the end of the season, and it has been killing me in a good manner to keep myself motivated.
“We will definitely return,” he says.
Is The Big 3 Model Effective?
If Irving stays healthy, the Mavericks should have a strong chance of making it back to the NBA Finals.
With prolific scorer and playmaker Luka Doncic on staff, any team is always dangerous. Dallas is even more dangerous now that they have a backcourt partner who many believe to be the best offensive player of all time. Now they’ve added a four-time NBA champion in Klay Thompson, who’ll replace Derrick Jones Jr. in the starting lineup.
Their ceiling is raised offensively but lowered defensively when Jones is substituted for Thompson. At that point in his career, Thompson has made 41.3 percent of his 3-pointers, while Jones has made 31.6 percent. With more floor and less vertical spacing, the geometry also changes. Now, the Mavs can expect more open space inside the arc, which benefits Irving and Doncic.
The Big 3 model doesn’t work out for every team. They’ll have difficult competition, with several teams proving to be potential title-contenders. Nonetheless, in the parity era, a team with as much skill as the Dallas’ has a shot at a ring.
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