Kyrie Irving Brings 'Peace of Mind' Into Dallas Mavs' Potential Bounce-Back Season
After dealing with a great deal of drama over the last two years while with the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving was excited when he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in February. The move presented an opportunity for the eight-time All-Star to find 'peace of mind' both on and off the court.
"When I got traded here mid-season, a lot of my family was excited and they were just looking forward to me having a peace of mind, just on the court and off the court," Irving told reporters before preseason play began.
"[I] had already dealt with enough the past two seasons, so they knew that I just wanted a lot of that off my back and off my shoulders and feeling like I had to be Superman or I had to be perfect. I just wanted to be myself ... the last few years just figuring myself out. So I think [Dallas] is the best place to do it and continue to mature and grow as a man.”
After trading for Irving, the Mavs made re-signing him their top priority of the offseason. They wasted no time accomplishing that goal after the free-agency period opened, as Irving signed a three-year, $126 million contract that includes some incentives. The 31-year-old star is excited to seek redemption this season, and he's also 'happy' about all the moves the Mavs made over the offseason.
“I’m happy about the moves, no harsh criticism from me," Irving said. "They asked me what I thought throughout the summertime. Even in our closing meetings, they just asked me questions, trying to gauge who I wanted to play with and who I saw in the market and who in these next couple of free agency classes will be available. That’s pretty interesting."
Although the Mavs failed to reach the postseason after trading for Irving last season, it wasn't due to his level of play or chemistry with Luka Doncic. The star duo put up blistering offensive numbers, but Dallas' overall defense and depth was lacking. The Mavs, to an extent, have addressed those issues with the additions of Grant Williams, Dereck Lively II, Derrick Jones Jr., Dante Exum, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and others. Now, Irving is ready to continue building chemistry with Doncic while also building 'a great team.'
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is entering his 13th season.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
"I was looking towards the future, while also being aware that it takes time to build a great team," Irving said about the Mavs' offseason. "It takes time to build chemistry. And with me and Luka, were so skilled. He makes the game so easy for everyone around him. I think we got a lot of open shots last year because of how much attention he garnered.
"We’re both killers on the court. Everybody knows it. We want to win, so we just have to continue to have that consistent mentality together and lead the team as best we can alongside other guys that have experience in this league – or young guys that we have to coach, even more so."
Although there has been a lot of negative speculation from the national media due to how the Mavs finished last season, Irving believes his team 'has the pieces' to do something special this time around.
“We have the pieces out there. We have some young guys that are incredibly active. We drafted well. And just to be included in that process felt good, being asked questions on what I thought and how the our pieces would fit around."
Irving missed the Mavs' last two preseason games due to groin soreness, but the sense is that Dallas was just being extra cautious. Heading into his 13th season, Irving is focused on getting off to a hot start, but also wants to 'peak at the right time.'
“Physically I’m great, taking my time into this training camp. It’s my 13th season, so I’ve been through a few training camps," Irving said. “My approach this year is to focus on being prepared and healthy and peaking at the right time. Coming into every season, [you want] to start right-away hot, just do everything the right way. It’s impossible to be perfect at the beginning of the season. We have a new group and we have some things to still figure out, so we got to give each other grace for that."
During head Jason Kidd's first two seasons as head coach, the Mavs have found themselves under .500 after the 30-game mark in each season. The first time around, that slow start was forgotten, as the Mavs went on to have a scorching second half of the season en route to a Western Conference Finals appearance. Last season, the Mavs were unable to overcome the slow start, and it resulted in the franchise missing the postseason for the first time in three years.
After having a full offseason to physically recover, Irving, Doncic and the rest of the Mavs' revamped roster will try to reverse that trend of getting off to a slow start. In a long 82-game regular season, it's important to stack up as many wins early as possible so you're not playing from behind for most of the year. We'll find out soon if the new-look Mavs are up for that challenge.
