![]() But with both being dominant on-ball lead guards and a slew of ill-timed injuries, it’s been difficult for the two to build chemistry on the court. Kyrie Irving is the most talented player Dončić has ever played with. But the Mavericks made a move motivated by Dončić reportedly pushing the front office to add star power. It was a surprisingly large offer, given how much Irving had diminished his value across the league after his antics with the Nets. To get Irving, the Mavs made a blockbuster trade, sending starting point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, glue guy and top defender Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, and two future second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Irving and Markieff Morris. The Mavs are 3-8 when Doncic and Irving played together, 0-2 when only Doncic played, 3-1 when only Irving played, and 1-2 when both were out to injury. Some of that has been due to extended injuries to both star players. They have gone 6-14 since Kyrie Irving‘s debut. ![]() But even then, only a handful of games separated them from dropping down to the Play-In tournament. The Mavs struggled even before Irving arrived but had made a run to get up to the No. Mavericks struggles before Kyrie Irving Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports The lapses by the front office and General Manager Nico Harrison in building a contending roster around their Slovenian star are also to blame. It even went so far as to claim “Irving had broken Luka Dončić.” We’ve detailed why coach Jason Kidd is most responsible for what’s ailing Mavs. This must be reiterated because recently, an article blamed Kyrie Irving for the Mavs’ recent struggles. That said, none of the Mavs’ woes are because of Irving. To make it worse, if they don’t fully embrace the tank, their draft pick will convey to the New York Knicks if it lands 11th or higher. That record isn’t even good enough to be in Play-In contention. ![]() Now, 23 games after Irving was traded to Dallas, the Mavs have plummeted down the Western Conference standings, sitting 11th in the West at 37-40.
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