The Dallas Mavericks are officially in trouble.
They’re getting exposed defensively as most analysts thought they would, and adding Kyrie Irving next to Luka Doncic hasn’t done a lot to improve their chances of going deep into the playoffs.
They had to give up their best defender, Dorian Finney-Smith, as well as a solid backup PG in Spencer Dinwiddie and draft capital to land a player that might not even be there next season.
Obviously, the thought of having two generational scorers playing together was promising, but the game is played five-on-five, not two-on-two.
That’s why Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe believes the Mavs aren’t a championship-caliber team right now.
“[Can they] Win a championship? No. Can they play together? Absolutely they can play together,” Sharpe said. “I don’t believe that they’re currently a pair of teammates that’s more skilled offensively than these two that are currently playing together (…) I had no doubt Kyrie & Luka would work offensively. Can they win a championship? No, I don’t think they can.”
“I had no doubt Kyrie & Luka would work offensively. Can they win a championship? No, I don’t think they can.”@ShannonSharpe reacts to Mavs duo combining for 82 points in win vs. 76ers pic.twitter.com/GuUH8QxxEn
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) March 3, 2023
As good as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving can be offensively, they just don’t make up for it on the defensive end of the floor.
Kyrie tries on defense, but he’s not good at it.
As for Doncic, well, he doesn’t even bother.
They also lack a defensive-minded big and a true interior presence, with Christian Wood being manhandled by every physical big man in the league.
That’s not a winning formula in the playoffs, and we’ve already seen how Kyrie deals with the bad results.
Also, Jason Kidd is playing with fire by taking the ball away from his young franchise player’s hands, especially a guy like Doncic who doesn’t like to be crossed.
All things considered, the Mavs made a big mistake, and they won’t likely get past the first round in the playoffs this season.
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