Expectations For Luka & Kyrie After All-Star Break: 'Unguardable Machine,' Says NBA Expert
With NBA All-Star Weekend in full swing, the Dallas Mavericks get to enjoy having two superstars represent the franchise in Salt Lake City before getting back to their playoff push with 22 games remaining.
Although Kyrie Irving has been with the Mavs for five games, he's only played alongside Luka Doncic in two of them. However, during those two contests -- an overtime road loss to the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back and a one-possession loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves -- the dynamic duo showed its offensive potential by averaging a combined 62 points on 60-percent shooting from the field.
In his latest piece for ESPN, Zach Lowe explained why the Doncic and Irving duo has yet to scratch the surface of what it can be going forward.
They've barely worked in tandem, but Irving and Luka Doncic are already providing glimpses of how they amplify each other -- and how they could turn the Mavericks' offense into a more diverse and borderline unguardable machine. Irving props up the offense when Doncic rests.
Just having both of them out there changes the feel of the game. Even if Irving chills in the corner while Doncic dances up high -- and that's often been the case early -- the defense knows another superstar is over there, waiting, itching to kick it into gear as an outlet. Anxiety distracts, and distractions lead to breakdowns.
Lowe goes on to note that Doncic and Irving have only been in three pick-and-rolls involving both of them, but it's been extremely successful when it has happened. Hopefully coach Jason Kidd has caught onto this and will have more actions run between his two stars for the home stretch of the season.
Even during the two games Doncic and Irving played together, Doncic didn't look like he was at his best, as he had just returned from a four-game absence due to a nagging heel injury. Irving missed the Mavs' last game in Denver before the All-Star break due to lower back tightness.
With a full week off until the Mavs open their six-game homestand against the San Antonio Spurs, we should get a better look at what this Mavs' team can be as the playoffs inch closer. Dallas is currently in sixth-place in the Western Conference standings -- just 1.5 games back of home-court advantage, but also just 1.5 games ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the final play-in tournament spot.
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