Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving Continue Chemistry Building: 'We're Both Killers on the Court'
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks' identity shifted in a major way when the team made a blockbuster trade to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets to give Luka Doncic a needed superstar running mate last season. With a combination of injuries, a lack of sufficient defensive personnel, and a need to build chemistry on the fly in must-win games, the immediate result was underachievement.
"He came in the middle of the season last year. We didn't have much time [last season]," Doncic said. "We went straight to playing games. It takes time to build chemistry, especially on the court. We will have the whole training camp and then the preseason, too. I think it's going to be way better."
"Just playing off each other," Doncic explained. "We're the two leaders of the team. What we do, other people will follow, and we have to set an example, and that's everybody. It's not just us."
Despite achieving a 5-11 record in the 16 games Doncic and Irving shared the floor last season, there is a significant sense of optimism about what's in store for this season. The two thrived when sharing the floor but naturally had some details to work through, such as how to approach attacking in clutch situations alongside each other. Irving was focused on enhancing what the team had going, not disrupting it.
"I was looking towards the future while also being aware that it takes time to build a great team, takes time to build chemistry, and with Luka and me, we're so skilled he makes the game easy for everyone around him," Irving said. "I think we got a lot of open shots last year because of how much attention he garnered. I was coming in trying to alleviate some of that pressure. A few times, I think we were being too passive with one another.
"We're both killers on the court. Everybody knows it. We want to win," Irving explained. "We must continue to have that consistent mentality and lead the team as best we can alongside other guys with experience in this league or young guys we have to coach even more. It's all been a learning experience."
The general sense is that an improved roster around the two All-Stars will result in a major change in fate going forward. After finishing as one of the NBA's worst teams on defense and rebounding, there was a lot of strain on the superstars since the team struggled to create separation or get timely stops in pivotal moments. Regarding co-existing, there is no concern from the coaching staff or the players involved.
"As much as we like things that happen right away, we continue to grow that relationship," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said after Wednesday's practice. "There is a relationship. They had the summer, and now they have a preseason to bond. But that's the big question. Can they coexist? And it's not that they don't coexist. It's the group around them. I think sometimes we are misinformed."
"If you have the right pieces around, they're going to coexist," Kidd explained. "After day one, they coexisted at a high level. The group that was out there with them played well. I truly believe when you talk about two of the best players in the world, they're going to play at a high level, and they're going to put us in a position to win."
Irving is no stranger to playing alongside elite talents with a significant share of the offense run through him. He continued to make a major impact alongside Doncic by playing within the flow by spacing out while being a willing on and off-ball screener, in addition to attacking when opportunities came his way. His goal is seemingly to conserve himself throughout games to ramp up his aggression when running the bench unit in plug-and-play lineups or taking over in the fourth quarter.
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic enjoying Dallas Mavericks training camp.
Mavs.com
Going forward, an ideal approach would involve Doncic facing a reduced workload by not having to initiate as much within the half-court, which could come in the form of expanded involvement as an off-ball threat. This has been done at times, but with the value that Doncic generates as an initiator, it's tough to justify too much of having him deviate from it. However, reducing his workload is an important focus area. Overall, there is seemingly a need for some balance.
Beyond spacing the floor at times, it's important to reflect on Doncic's play with Slovenia at the World Cup. Doncic was sometimes utilized in some off-ball actions out of the corner, whether it was double-wide pindowns or a Zoom action handoff. Another option was to run a cross-screen for him to get a post-up touch. He was even deployed as a ball screener and back-screener in Spain pick-and-roll during the team's finale against Italy. Doncic feels he progressed as an off-ball player over the summer.
"Like I say, off-ball stuff, they're going to be better, I think," Doncic said. "I did take a step forward this summer when I was playing off-screen, too, so it was better. It's less tiring, too."
Irving looks forward to further delving into the nuances of his partnership with Doncic. There was a lot of noise about the pairing's potential due to the Mavs struggling to succeed in the win column. Between having to work through important details in must-win games while other teams had more continuity and both superstars dealing with injuries, the circumstances unraveled quickly.
"It's all been a learning experience," Irving said. "It was so quick last year, and there was so much pressure on us to win now and win big, and it's Luka and Kyrie. Why can't you guys win games? So we were answering many questions that, honestly, I don't think we were ready for, and health is everything in this league.
“We were not one hundred percent going through last season and trying to do the best we could mentally, emotionally, and physically. I have to give ourselves some grace and some credit," Irving explained. "We made it through. ... I'm looking forward to starting from day one like we're doing now."
The Mavs were busy in the offseason, with the top priority being to re-sign Irving. He returned to the team on a three-year deal with $120 million guaranteed and the potential for the total compensation to reach $126 million based on incentives. Irving offered his input on potential roster moves for the Mavs and appreciates being included in the front office's decision-making process.
"We have the pieces out there, some young guys that are incredibly active, we drafted well," Irving said. "Just to be included in that process felt good. Just being asked questions about what I thought and how our pieces would fit around. But also, I'm not the central focused."
During the NBA offseason, Irving not only kept a close eye on Doncic while he represented Slovenia at the FIBA World Cup. He even shared his thoughts on Doncic's film from exhibition matches while livestreaming. Throughout the World Cup, Irving paid attention to Doncic's play and was impressed with how he reached "Super Saiyan mode" for Slovenia.
“Luka already makes the game look easier here in the States, but when he plays with Slovenia, it’s like he goes Super Saiyan mode," Irving said. "He just goes ballistic."
What impressed Irving the most was how Doncic and his Slovenian teammates have such a close bond after going through such high-stakes moments together. Irving would like to help re-create a similar environment with the Mavs that Doncic experienced with Slovenia through having a close bond as a unit.
"You can see how close his teammates are and how close they are as a team," Irving said. "They’ve built some equity with each other by going through the process of trying to make the Olympics and playing in the World Cup. Luka’s a big part of that country’s success, so you must credit him. To be that young and to garner that much attention already, offensively and defensively, it’s impressive to see him go through it."
Throughout the World Cup, Irving's top goal for Doncic was to stay healthy, but the two maintained communication at points during the World Cup. While closely observing Slovenia, Irving came to appreciate just how important competing alongside each other was for Slovenia's players, including Doncic.
"I just wanted him to stay healthy. I was texting him every once in a while, just reminding him that me and Dirk [Nowitzki] have gotten World Cup MVPs; we’re just waiting for him to get his,' Irving said. "Eventually, he will get it, but I just tried to motivate him while he was over there. It’s a grind. It’s a sacrifice to be away from your family. You could see in some of their interviews the Slovenia players and tears rolling down their eyes. You can see how passionate they are. Again, the closeness of that group shows Luka’s being himself. While he’s here, we want to create that same environment.
"I know Dallas has done that,' Irving explained. "That’s what I’m focused on, just keeping him happy and working on the little things that we can get better as a duo and leaders of this team. Just down the stretch, how we trust each other a little bit more."
Going forward, Irving remains encouraged by what he and Doncic can achieve together, given the impressive skill sets they each possess. Irving continues to gain an appreciation for the dynamic talent of Doncic and is looking forward to providing a veteran presence alongside him. The focus remains on achieving the ultimate success as a team, which starts with them as leaders.
“He’s incredibly talented. I’m incredibly talented. We put a lot of work into the game that we love,' Irving said. "So I want to see him be successful, and if he’s successful, then our team is successful."
"I just continue to play that position here as a veteran and remain mature about the role I’m here to fulfill and be real with him. That’s been the fun part," Irving explained. "You have somebody that skilled, that young, reminds me and some other guys I’ve been around throughout the league. You can see that his trajectory is there. He has the potential. Now we want to combine it with a full team-successful season.”
While there remains a focus on Doncic's lingering thigh injury, Irving feels "great" after playing through plantar fasciitis to end last season. Irving focuses on maintaining the necessary level of health for the Mavs to peak at the proper time late in the season, as opposed to becoming negatively impacted by injury at the wrong time.
"Physically, I'm great," Irving said. "I'm taking my time in this training camp. It's my 13th season, so I've been through a few training camps, and my focus this year is being prepared and healthy and peaking at the right time."
With a 12-day overseas trip that features stops in Abu Dhabi and Madrid, the Mavs will have no shortage of opportunities to build camaraderie as a group. The first two games will be played against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the United Arab Emirates on Oct. 5 & 7, followed by a match against Real Madrid in Spain on Oct. 10.
"Coming to every season, you want to start hot immediately, just do everything the right way, but it's impossible to be perfect at the beginning of the season," Irving said.
"We have a new group. We have some things to figure out still, so we have to give each other grace for that," Irving explained. "It's been fun to think about going to Abu Dhabi, going to Madrid, and having an opportunity to play in front of an international community that supports the game of basketball and grow over there as a team to build camaraderie."
Irving often expressed the need for a team to bond off the court while playing out the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign. The team faces a prime opportunity to do so while traveling abroad together. The team has less than a week of preparation before departing from North America, prompting the team to do two-a-day practices.
"This is what I was talking about last year when we got to get out and get to know one another on different planes and in different environments," Irving said. "I feel like we get a chance to do that overseas. It is a quick training camp, but we can't make an excuse for that."
"We just got to put in our two-a-days and continue to get in better shape. That's what this preseason is about, with a short amount of days — a lot of work in those short days," Irving explained. "These next two weeks will have its ups and downs. I want to go into these games with a clear mentality that we want to win, and we want to continue to get better and dive deeper into the relationships that will matter for us later down in the season."
It remains to be seen how far the Mavs will go this season, with Doncic and Irving leading the way. A lot can happen throughout an 82-game season, but the two superstars and the team are intrigued by what they could achieve and are encouraged by having more time to work through it all this time.
