Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic will work as a duo for an obvious reason
DALLAS — It was like watching a great pitcher who focuses on command more than power sit down batter after batter. When Kyrie Irving took over in the fourth quarter of his home debut, he was that great pitcher. And he was nearly unbeatable. Irving almost brought Dallas back by himself. And if not for […]
DALLAS — It was like watching a great pitcher who focuses on command more than power sit down batter after batter. When Kyrie Irving took over in the fourth quarter of his home debut, he was that great pitcher. And he was nearly unbeatable.
Irving almost brought Dallas back by himself. And if not for some inopportune hot potato at the end of the game, the Mavericks, down 26 at one point, could have been on the winning side of a score that read 124-121 in the Minnesota Timberwolves favor at the American Airlines Center.
This Irving and Luka Doncic duo is going to work — and work well. Monday night proved that to be true. Early in the evening, Irving answered more questions about how he and Doncic will manage ball-handling duties and sharing the superstar load in his introductory press conference. And then later, he showed just how easy it is for both of them to play together because their games fit like pieces in a championship-level puzzle.
They combined for 69 points. Irving scored 36, Doncic 33. When Irving struggled for the first three quarters, Doncic was his usual self. And then, when Doncic went to the bench, Irving morphed into something otherworldly. Something ethereal.
That is what happens when teams have a legitimate one-two punch: When one isn't humming, the engine is always running. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd knows that, to the extent that he admitted he is no longer worried about the defense. He's planning to outscore opponents, asking the question: "who can stop LD and Kai?"
It's a fair assessment. If not for a pedestrian first three quarters, where the Mavericks looked weary from a long road trip, the Mavericks are winners in a shoot-out. Irving's skill bent Minnesota's defense to the Mavericks' will. And when Doncic returned to action in the fourth quarter, hitting a step-back three and playing Minnesota center Rudy Gobert off the floor, the NBA world got a taste of what is actually possible for Dallas.
That isn't to say it will be seamless: Look at the last possession of the game, when Doncic and Irving couldn't get up a 3-point attempt to tie the game. Still, that is a problem that Kidd thinks the two will iron out in time. And with 22 games remaining after the All-Star break, that process needs to happen fast.
But it will happen. Doncic and Irving are too good for it not to happen.
Trading for Irving brought with it a semblance that the Mavericks have a chance at achieving something substantial this season. That goal hinges on the franchise player (Doncic) working well alongside the franchise floor raiser (Irving). But if two games have proven anything to the viewing public, it's this: the two work well together, and it's only a matter of time until the fruits of their pairing bloom.
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Feature image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
