Mark Cuban has no qualms about Kyrie Irving’s 1st season with Mavs despite negative media coverage
Before this year's trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks took a big swing and made a deal for Kyrie Irving. While they didn't finish the year strong, Mark Cuban is not worried about his new star duo.
When Kyrie Irving wanted out from the Brooklyn Nets, Cuban and the Mavs pushed all their chips in to acquire the All-Star guard. It was a risk, but they viewed him as someone who could be a running mate for Luka Doncic.
Irving played 20 games with the Mavs and averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Even with the firepower of him and Doncic, Dallas failed to secure a spot in the postseason.
Recently, Mark Cuban sat down with Patrick Beverley to discuss the team's new duo. He is not worried about the pairing of Doncic and Irving and feels their issues centered mainly on the players around them.
"When you look at last year, we had a lot of issues that had nothing to do with Kyrie and Luka playing together," Cuban said. "Top five combo in the league when they played together. We just didn't have a team that was committed to their roles."
Even with the lackluster finish to the season, Dallas still committed to Irving. This offseason, they signed him to a three-year, $120 million contract.
The Dallas Mavericks have revamped the supporting cast around Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic
As Mark Cuban mentioned, part of why the Dallas Mavericks struggled following the Kyrie Irving trade was because of their supporting cast. They had all the offensive firepower they needed but lacked reliable defenders to cover their weak spots.
Over the summer, the Mavericks have made sure to address this issue. Along with bringing in some scoring for the bench, they've mainly focused on defensive-minded players to put around their stars.
The biggest thing Dallas addressed was the frontcourt. JaVale McGee was recently waived, and the team let Christian Wood walk in free agency. Replacing them is Dereck Livley, one of the top defensive center in the 2023 draft class, and Richaun Holmes. Both should provide stability at the center position while being able to play off the two All-Star guards.
Another big move made by the Mavericks was acquiring Grant Williams from the Boston Celtics. As a physical three-and-D forward, he should fill the void left by Dorian Finney-Smith.
With a better equipped supporting cast, Dallas should be able to turn their fortunes around in 2024.