Tag: Dallas Mavericks

The Kyrie-Luka duo of the Dallas Mavericks is starting to wreak havoc, thanks to the adjustments done by the team and the two superstars. But one question remains: are they the most lethal combination the NBA has ever seen?

Defense wins championships, or so they say.

The Mavericks’ offensive rating increased to 125.9 for the duo’s first two games. Meanwhile, their defensive rating suffered some setbacks, going from 118 to 121, the worst for this season.

Irving has been productive since joining Dallas, averaging 27 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. Doncic, on the other hand, produces an average of 33.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.1 assists every game.

Their offense has no problem. In their recent outing against the Philadelphia 76ers, the duo made history by scoring a total of 82 points in a single game. Kyrie Irving scored 40 points and six assists, while Luka Doncoc had 42 and 12.

Although they only won two matches in their last six games together, their performance in the 76ers match proves that the Kyrie-Luka duo is starting to get in sync.

Not everyone is impressed with their team-up

Former NBA player and now analyst Charles Barkley had no faith in the combination of Kyrie and Luca. 

“They do not bring diversity to the table. They don’t play defense, and they don’t rebound the ball.”

“They’re both great one-on-one basketball players, and that’s the problem.”

As an NBA analyst, Zach Lowe believed the duo could not win a championship or even reach the finals. This is because Dallas exchanged their defense for offensive power.

“Can you win a title like that? Can you win three or four playoff series like that? I’m skeptical that they have enough defense to do that, but they’re not fun to play against, I’m telling you that much,” he said.

The analyst added, “But look, when they have those two guys on the floor together, they are gonna score a ton of points.”

When they lost against the Indiana Pacers last February 28, Skip Bayless criticized the duo and was certain that the partnership of the two was “failing.”

“On a final play clearly called for Kyrie, down 2, he took AND MISSED the 3 to win, guarded by Indy’s McConnell. Luka just watched.” Bayless wrote on his Twitter. “He cannot love the new 4th [quarter] pecking order. Before tonight, in his games [with] Kyrie, Luka had taken 10 4th q shots to Kyrie’s 33. THIS ISN’T WORKING.”

On a final play clearly called for Kyrie, down 2, he took AND MISSED the 3 to win, guarded by Indy's McConnell. Luka just watched. He cannot love the new 4th q pecking order. Before tonight, in his games w Kyrie, Luka had taken 10 4th q shots to Kyrie's 33. THIS ISN'T WORKING.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 1, 2023

Kyrie-Luka Duo, the Best this Season?

Combining two guards is one of the most unusual events this 2023 NBA season. We had seen the tandem of LeBron James and Kyrie when they won a championship together back in Cleveland.

There is also the combo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, winning three consecutive rings. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had six rings with the Chicago Bulls.

The Kyrie-Luka duo is still in the early stages of their pairing. There is no certainty that they will reach the same success as the other tandems in the NBA, especially with Irving still determining whether he will remain as a Mavericks or not by the end of the season.

But if he decides to stay, and has the management add defensive pieces, their duo may be the deadliest pairing for years to come.

Nevertheless, Mavericks is an exciting team to watch at OKBET, especially with Kyrie and Luka basically walking highlights.

Read: Former PBA ROY Boybits Victoria dies

Former Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving expected more intelligent plays to come as he settled in his new home, the Dallas Mavericks.

Irving, 30, finished the game with 24 points, five dimes, and four rebounds in 37 minutes, introducing himself as the newest threat in Mavericks along with Luka Doncic. They beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 104-110, to take the number four spot in the Western Conference.

During his postgame interview, Irving expects that with Doncic at the helm, there will be intelligent basketball plays.

“Just some high-level IQ basketball. It’s simple when you play with guys that are selfless and do the little things. They do not mind other guys being aggressive out there,” said Uncle Drew. “That’s the way a game should be played, very fast-paced, and just doing the little things, details the win.

Meanwhile, the former Nets star said he is happy to be in Dallas right now.

“Incredible. Had natural nerves out here. So I was just tryna play well. But it feels good, just to get acclimated.”

Irving and Doncic have yet to play together, with the duo expected to wreak damage in Saturday’s game against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center.

Jason Kidd happy to have Kyrie Irving on board

In his postgame interview, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was glad to have Irving with them. For this season, Uncle Drew has been averaging 27 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.

According to the coach, his newest star easily fit in, which was evident in their matchup with the Clippers. Kidd said it was all because of Irving’s maturity to accept that he is with the team to share veteran and championship experience.

“I think his leadership down the stretch, [to] keep everyone organized; knowing how to play without having the ball or being able to have to score, setting screens for his teammates to get shots was shown tonight. So a lot of great stuff as we build on this new journey with him. It’s gonna be fun,” Kidd told the press.

Kidd also observed that there was also no hint of awkwardness or problems in the rotation. 

“Because he is talented, that’s how talented he is. He makes things look easy, he works on his craft, he’s a pro, he’s up for any challenge, and I think just the comfort level that he has for being with us. “

“You can see that he’s at peace with his basketball game. He’s gonna play his game, and he played that tonight with his teammate,” he added.

With Kyrie now with the Mavs, his former teammate, Kevin Durant, also left Brooklyn—and Ben Simmons. Durant is now with the Phoenix Suns, eventually shocking OKBET players.

Read: BREAKING! LeBron is now NBA’s All-Time Scorer!

OKBET predicted the Wednesday match between the Dallas Mavericks and the Washington Wizards to favor the former, having odds of 1.35-3.22.

The Mavericks (5th in the NBA Western Conference) will host the Wizards (12th in the East). Their match will begin at 8:30 pm EST inside the American Airlines Center.

Luka Dončić and his team are looking to even the score with the Bradley Beal-led Wizards after they were defeated the first time 113-105.  

Dallas is -7 handicapped, while the Wizards (12th in the East) is +7 on 1.94 odds apiece. But the odds may change, given that the Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 98-112.

Meanwhile, the Wizards are coming off a win against the Orlando Magic, beating them with a wide margin of 138-118.

But Can the Wizards Pull Off an Upset?

The chances are—low. They will play without Kristaps Porzingis, who suffered an ankle injury during their match against the Magics.

The Latvian giant averages 22.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 blocks when healthy. Since he is injured, the scoring will heavily rely on Beal and Kyle Kuzma, who produces 22.5 and 21.8 points per night.

Moreover, the tragic injury of Porzingis is in time before the trade deadline this February 9. The 27-year-old center is also in his final year with the Wizards. Bullets Forever assumed that the organization would not risk rushing him to play against the Mavericks so as not to compromise his trade value.

Meanwhile, the Mavs will go into the match without center/power forward Christian Woods, who is out with a knee injury. Maxi Kleber will also miss the game due to a hamstring injury.

Aside from the absence of Porzingis, the Washington Wizards will also be going up against the Dallas Mavericks without Rui Hachimura, who was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks.

Hachimura, 24, was a solid power forward for the Wizards, averaging 13 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.4 blocks. He can also shoot from anywhere on the field, having 49% total field goals and 34% in threes.

With the power forward now a Lakers, their bench will not be as efficient. Beal and Kuzma are predicted to be playing heavy minutes just to keep up with the Mavericks.

On the other hand, although the Mavs are without Kleber and Wood, their bench can cover the slack, with Davis Bertans and JaVale McGee as backups.

Comparison

The Wizards, allow opponents 113.3 points per game and are 15th overall. Regarding their scoring, they are 23rd out of 30, having an average of 112.5.

Unlike the Mavericks, their opponents only score an average of 112.2 (9th). Their points per game are also slightly better than the Wizards, with 112.6 points (21st).

However, when it comes to offensive rating, Dallas has the advantage. They have a rating of 115.8 and are currently the 6th best offensive team this season.

Meanwhile, the Wizards are among the bottom ten teams with the worst offensive rating. They are currently ranked 21st, with a 113.2 rating. 

Although they lack the offense, they make up for defense. Currently, the Washington Wizards are sitting at the 15th spot regarding defensive ratings, having 114. Dallas, on the other hand, is in the 24th spot with 115.4.

Conclusion, Odds

The prediction at OKBET may change as the game progresses, but so far, Dallas is the clear favorite, according to this table:

Read More: Fury ‘Wants’ Pound-for-Pound Usyk