"They are a perfect match"- Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins believes Dallas Mavericks are the right team for troubled star Kyrie Irving
Following the Dallas Mavericks’ 116-108 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday, Mavs star point guard Kyrie Irving spoke about Dallas’ playoff chances.
Irving referred to the Mavs’ situation as “a little bit of a clusterf**k.” This comes as Dallas (37-40, 11th in the West) sits outside the Western Conference play-in picture with five games remaining. However, according to former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins, Irving being in a tough situation is a result of his own actions.
On a recent episode of NBA Today, Perkins broke down Irving’s questionable decision-making throughout his career.
“First of all, listening to Kyrie Irving, I see a brother that’s confused,” Perkins said.
“When it comes to his basketball knowledge, when it comes to his decision-making, he’s horrible. Let’s go all the way back to his time in Cleveland. You were in Cleveland with LeBron James. You went to multiple finals, you won a championship there. And you forced your way out."
He continued:
“Then all of a sudden you get to Boston. You promised Celtics fans that you were gonna be there. You had an opportunity to actually grow and play with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. You bounced on them.
“Then you persuade KD to come to Brooklyn and join you, your best friend. And then all of a sudden, you’re in a position in Brooklyn, they fire Steve Nash, hire Jacque Vaughn.
You have everything in the world with you, the team is moving in the right direction, KD’s balling, you’re balling and you have one of the best records in the league. All of a sudden you don’t even tell your so-called best friend Kevin Durant, that you want out. You request a trade, get to Dallas and now you’re here.”
Kendrick Perkins then went on to question Kyrie Irving’s motives and suggested that his constant involvement in drama has tarnished his legacy:
“Now my thing is to Kyrie, forget where they’re at now, they’re not gonna make the play-in tournament. What does Kyrie want as far as his legacy. What is Kyrie’s agenda? Those are the questions that I wanna know.
“And the confusing part is you have been in these situations where you could have capitalized on them. But Kyrie Irving, the smart guy, the guy that’s smarter than everybody else in the world when it comes to making decisions, and we don’t understand him and things of that nature.
"He doesn’t understand himself. And he doesn’t understand how these actions or him requesting trades out of certain organizations, I believe, are gonna tarnish his legacy.”
After saying all of this during ESPN’s broadcast, Perkins then doubled down on his take on Twitter. This came as Perkins tweeted that if the Mavs’ situation is really as bad as Irving says it is, then the team is a perfect match for him:
“Did Kyrie call Dallas a ‘cluster f**k?’ How Ironic. From forcing his way out of Cleveland, Boston and Brooklyn, if Dallas is what he describes it as, they are a perfect match! Carry on…”
Did Kyrie call Dallas a “cluster f*ck”? How Ironic. From forcing his way out of Cleveland, Boston and Brooklyn, if Dallas is what he describes it as, they are a perfect match! Carry on… https://t.co/zkpJ41QpNQ
Kyrie Irving on his time in Dallas so far
As many have pointed out, Kyrie Irving’s full comments about Dallas’ situation came in a very different context than Kendrick Perkins alluded to. This comes as Irving’s full quote included him talking about how enjoyable his experience in Dallas has been despite the losses.
“I didn't expect to ask for a trade at that point in the season,” Irving said.
“So I wanted to finish out with Brooklyn, finish out with the season that we had going and I didn't get a chance to do that. So some of the goals I had previously this season had to be shifted, and I had to be more than willing, which I am, to be flexible and adaptable and live with the results, whether we make the playoffs or not."
Kyrie continued:
“I just have to be at peace with where I am and which I am, and trust of the guys that I'm going to be in that war room with every single day. So, I'm appreciative of them giving me the opportunity. It's been nothing but great here. And I've been at peace. So it's been good, outside of the losses, of course. We'd like to win every game.”
This is Kyrie Irving’s very long (and thoughtful) answer to what its been like being traded midseason for the first time in his career, which is where the “it kind of looks like a little bit of a clusterfuck” quote came from. https://t.co/Pt5jHtC9MU
The Dallas Mavericks are 7-10 with Kyrie Irving in the lineup this season and 30-30 without him. Irving is averaging 26.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.2 spg and 2.9 3-pointers per game on 49.8% shooting through 17 games with Dallas.
Also read: Dallas Mavericks GM on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's future - "A Ferrari and a monster truck"