Mavs Championship Contenders? Playing with Kyrie Irving Gives Luka Doncic Confidence
PHOENIX — A player as talented as Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic naturally holds high expectations for himself and his team. The goal is to compete for a championship every season, and with the right group around a talent like him, there is a realistic chance of achieving it.
The Mavs reached the Western Conference Finals in 2022, showing solid progress toward achieving its goals. Just as Jalen Brunson had his breakout to NBA stardom, he departed to the New York Knicks in free agency, placing Dallas in a situation to requires finding another dynamic star to pair with Doncic.
It took until close to last year's trade deadline before the Mavs faced an opportunity to replace Brunson, resulting in a trade for Kyrie Irving. Still, the team failed to stay healthy in what became a chemistry-building phase in the stretch run of a season featuring must-win games. Fast forward to the present, with Irving in the fold and an improved supporting cast, Doncic feels the Mavs have two of the NBA's top 10 guards, making them a legitimate threat to pull off a championship run "no matter what."
"You always gotta believe you're going to win a championship, that you can win it," Doncic told ESPN. "And I think with me and Kai, I would say [we have] two of the top ten guards in the NBA right now. I think you have a chance no matter what."
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Entering Monday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns, the Mavs hold a 17-12 record after going through a losing slide with various injured vital players unavailable to elevate the team. Ranking sixth in the Western Conference standings, Dallas has a chance to progress toward moving up with a win but will continue to be shorthanded without Irving, Josh Green, or Maxi Kleber available.
"I always say I'm happy in Dallas," Doncic said. "They make me feel at home here. I have always been happy here since the day I arrived. Obviously, the championship is not there yet. But like I said, hopefully, one day, I can win it here."
Doncic, a team captain for the Slovenian national team for the first time during the FIBA World Cup before the 2023-24 NBA season, has continued to enhance his process to ensure he's doing what's necessary to lead the Mavs to a championship. Even those close to him, including his fellow national team member, Vlatko Cancar of the Denver Nuggets, view him as continuing to evolve as a leader.
"He's starting to understand that if you want to win, you must be more responsible," Cancar told DallasBasketball.com in a 1-on-1 interview. "You have to take care of yourself more."
Cancar praised Doncic for going "all in" to maximize his preparation, highlighting how he's leaned on a team of familiar experts to continue to sustain his excellence while playing in Dallas this season. He has Slovenia men's national team strength and conditioning coach Anze Macek, physiotherapist Javier Barrio Calvo (who Doncic worked with at Real Madrid), and nutritionist Lucia Almendros.
"As you can see, [Anze Macek], our national team strength and conditioning coach, has him over there. He has [Javier Barrio Calvo] from Real Madrid," Cancar said. "You can see that he wants to win. He doesn't want to do all this work to get knocked out in the first or second round. He's going all in."
"I feel like it's just the consistency, taking care of his body on and off the court, and at the end of the day, it's the consistency," Cancar explained. "Everybody wants in the NBA or just in general, so if you want to win, you must outperform everybody and everything."
Doncic continues to reap the benefits of his process as he makes a strong impact for the Mavs, averaging 32.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists entering Monday's matchup against the Suns. Dallas has gone 10-6 in 16 games with Doncic and Irving in the lineup, which improves to 10-4 when Dereck Lively II plays, too.
"Oh, yeah, it helps a lot," Doncic said. "I think I'm in a really good spot, so I just have to continue to work hard."
The most significant factor for the Mavs remains health. The team has dealt with a barrage of injuries throughout December. With Lively and Irving nearing a return to the lineup shortly, Dallas could have its top players available to continue building continuity and maximize its outlook in the Western Conference.
