Dallas Mavs' Kyrie Irving Uses Shooting Tip From Father & Los Angeles Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant to Find Rhythm
DALLAS — Kyrie Irving has found a rhythm in his recent performances, with his latest scoring 27 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 144-126 victory over the LA Clippers on Friday. He provided an integral impact in addition to Luka Doncic setting the tone with 44 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
Part of Irving's success was his impact from beyond the arc, converting a season-high five 3s while shooting 55.6 percent. He is shooting 8-16 from the perimeter after converting at just a 24.1 percent clip in his first five performances. For a player focused on process, what went into his improved results?
Irving talked with his father, Drederick, about his shooting mechanics, which included a reminder to get his right elbow properly pointed. It's a shooting tip Irving mentioned that Kobe Bryant used to tell him, too.
"Just get my right elbow pointed. I talked to my dad a few days ago, and he always loves to remind me to keep my right elbow pointed," Irving said after Friday's game. "That's something that Kobe used to tell me as well, just as a reminder. And then just take my time, get my feet underneath me."
Additionally, Irving highlighted the need to focus on the nuances of his shot that the average basketball fan may not identify, whether needing to land with proper balance or using proper guide hand placement on the ball.
"There were times when I wasn't landing on balance, and it's little things that probably the common fan wouldn't see, but those who appreciate hoop culture can, and those who appreciate my game can see some of the nuances of where my rhythm was a little off," Irving said. "Sometimes, it could be the guide hand just staying on the ball a little bit more or floating left or floating right."
Whether shots are falling or not, Irving conveyed the importance of maintaining self-confidence and trusting his work on his shot. He continues to trust that the ball will find him within the flow of the offense, creating quality opportunities for him to shoot and leave an imprint on the game.
"Being a great shooter in this league is all about self-confidence, all about the work and time that you put in," Irving said. "I'm staying consistent there, and that's where I want to feel good and just trusting that my teammates continue to find me, and I'll knock down the shots when my time is called."
Irving dealt with a preseason groin injury and a foot sprain early in the regular season, and his ability to build a rhythm was impacted. However, he remains focused on peaking at the right time this season after taking off roughly a month during the offseason to maximize his long-term performance.
"I think it's really for me internally, just trusting my body and not necessarily paying attention to anyone's expectations but my own and just being honest with myself," Irving said after Wednesday's game. "I didn't come to the season the way I wanted to just the amount of time that I took off, and I knew that the start of the season was going to be a healthy challenge.
"I said the other night in 12 years that never took 30 days, 40 days off for the season and didn't necessarily have the kind of familiarity with the rhythm of the game and hadn't played games in this preseason.
Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
When discussing how he can make an impact as he finds a rhythm, Irving highlighted the value in his managing to create spurts of momentum for the Mavs that just hadn't yet happened consistently. He did precisely that against the Clippers, scoring eight consecutive points late in the first quarter to rally Dallas back after trailing by as many as 12, setting off the team's big run to completely overtake the momentum.
"We can throw out all those reasons or excuses, but I think I'm really just proud of myself for just being able to get in better shape," Irving said on Wednesday. "A few spurts throughout the game, you know, four minutes first three minutes spurts where I can put 6, 7 points, 8 points, 10 points, 12 points usually just aren't happening, and I have to live with that as a professional, and as a competitor and continue to push myself on the off day.
"So again, it's easy to sit up here and say I'm frustrated with just offensive rhythm, but I know I can add other things to the game," Irving explained. "Once my offensive rhythm catches up, and I know we'll be in better shape, and I can add to The dynamic version of our offense, I know what I'm capable of."
Right now, Irving is focused on maximizing his performance in a way that will lead to optimal team success instead of prioritizing pressing to achieve personal accolades like an All-Star appearance or an All-NBA Team.
"I just want to try something different at this point, because the last few seasons I've had, whether outside of just different factors, me not being in the game, I just felt like I would peak a little bit too soon and get tired before All-Star break," Irving said on Wednesday. "Naturally, as a competitor in this league, you want to make All-Star, you want to make first team, second team, third team, you focus on those individual goals and accolades, but I pushed all that to the side.
"It's not really a priority for me coming into this season, and I had to be at peace with that," Irving explained. "I want to really dive into being a better teammate, being a better leader, and showing these guys how to sacrifice in different ways. And my time is called throughout the times later in the season, and I'll be prepared. But as of right now, no rush, just staying patient and, um, just continuing to put in the work."
Given the Mavs' success offensively to begin the season with Irving finding his form, their attack gets taken to a daunting level when the All-Star guard is clicking. The level their unit can execute when peaking at the right time for an extended period will be something to monitor as the season progresses.
