Mavs Stars Luka Doncic & Kyrie Irving Get High Rankings on NBA Top-125 List
The Dallas Mavericks have slipped in the NBA Western Conference standings of late yet have enjoyed standout individual seasons from a host of their vanguards, which has garnered attention from the NBA media.
The Ringer published an updated list of their top 125 players across the league, and Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Christian Wood earned placements, saying:
No. 3 [Doncic]: Master manipulator who sets the floor as he wants it, works over any defender in his path, and reads the game to perfection.
Doncic has been an MVP candidate from the start of the 2022-23 season. He's currently in the heat of battle for the NBA scoring title behind 33.0 points per game — the highest scoring average of any Maverick in franchise history.
Additionally, Doncic is No. 6 in the league in assists (8.0 APG), No. 24 in rebounds (8.6 RPG) and tied for No.5 in steals (1.5 SPG). Doncic, 24, reached the 2,500 career assists milestone this season and has dominated every area of the floor on offense.
No. 26 [Irving]: Devastating offensive presence who wows with his shot making and ball handling, though defensive limitations, injuries, and off-court decisions have tarnished his value and reputation.
Irving just missed the top 25, but has earned every bit of the glowing remarks that The Ringer gave him. Of his 7.9 three-point attempts per game, 6.2 come from 25-29 feet — constituted as a deep three. He shoots an astounding 39.2 percent from far out, complementing his 41.4 percent overall clip from beyond the arc.
As good as he's been from outside, he also shoots at least 53 percent everywhere inside of 15 feet, including 64.5 percent around the rim. He's also accompanied 27.2 points and 5.6 assists per game with a career-low 2.3 turnovers a night, making him just as dangerous as any player ranked above him when the lights shine brightest.
No. 90 [Wood]: Wildly talented (and unusually productive) offensive player who botches enough of the little things to cost himself minutes and invaluable high-stakes learning opportunities.
Rouding out Dallas' selections was Wood, whose 17.1 points, 7.6 rebound and 1.1 blocks per game make him a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. As noted by The Ringer, Wood does have room to improve on the 'little things' and clean up his perimeter defense, but his overall production was a no-brainer for recognition.
Dallas' big three are fighting for postseason positioning, as they've fallen from No. 5 to currently No. 8 in the West over the last two weeks. Doncic and Irving are battling injuries and hope to solidify last-minute camaraderie in time for a championship run.
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