How good is Kyrie Irving? Only Luka Doncic knows best!Talking about the first-round matchup between the Mavericks and Clippers in the 2024 playoffs – NBA – Basketball

At the press conference, Luka Doncic, whose native language is not English, usually does not talk too much, especially when asked “What is the difference between the current Mavericks and 2020 and 2021 (against the Clippers)”, he also gave gave a concise and confident reply.

“This time, we have Kyrie.”

Kyrie Irving has been the most popular player in the league for many years, and his brilliant creative play has also earned him the appreciation of many peers. Luka Doncic is the one who is most generous in praising him. If you want to choose the X factor that will influence the outcome of this battle, who will Luka give his vote of confidence to? The answer must be quite obvious, and the trusting relationship between the two is evident.

The old enemies of the Lone Ranger and the Clippers are about to start their third confrontation. Even though Luka was not as strong as he is now in the first two times, the newborn calf’s fearless spirit really left a deep impression on the Clippers. It took a lot of effort to find a solution. Stop him. Now, he wasn’t the only one they had to worry about.

Irving just turned 32 last month. This season, he missed at least 6 games twice due to injuries. During this period, the team’s record was not very satisfactory. In the end, he played a total of 58 games in the regular season, the second highest number since the 2018-19 season; after returning in early February, he played 31 consecutive games, setting a personal best record since 2016.

Since February 5, Irving has averaged 26.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals, and his three field goal percentages have reached the top level of “50/40/90”. There are various signs that Irving’s condition is returning to a high level. As long as he and Doncic stay healthy, it is not a foolish dream to chase the victory and “conquer the top”.

Looking back at the first matchup between Luka Doncic and the Clippers, the NBA was still shrouded in the haze of the epidemic at that time, and the game was moved to the Disney Bubble. The combination of Kristaps Porzingis and Doncic was on track. Unfortunately, Porzingis unfortunately missed the game due to injury. Doncic never received enough support and had no choice but to suffer his first defeat.

The following year, the Mavericks faced off against the Clippers again. Doncic grew stronger and stronger, even if he was single-handedly able to keep the game in a tug-of-war; however, as the game entered the second half, Doncic’s physical fitness declined significantly. In the last quarter of the seven-game series, his shooting percentage dropped to 35% and his outside shooting percentage was less than 30%. , with more than double-digit assists but 9 turnovers, and was ultimately eliminated with a score of “3-4”.

The Mavericks now have Irving, but the Clippers also added James Harden. As the top star, the responsibility on Luka Doncic’s shoulders will not be easier than before. He must be prepared to face the challenges of Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard, just like all superstars have overcome. The good news is that Derrick Jones Jr. and P.J. Washington can definitely provide some help, and the situation will not be as isolated as in previous years.

No matter who Luka Doncic is guarding, it is foreseeable that the Clippers will specifically target him and create pick-and-roll decisions. As long as Luka can move his body, even if it only consumes a little bit of energy each time, it has achieved strategic success. Perhaps the Mavericks can pre-switch off the ball, just like they did in the 2022 playoffs, to reduce Luka’s burden from the source and avoid subsequent unknown risks.

Over the past few weeks, Luka has been very active in defense and will not be a worry for the team. Even if it is not perfect, it is still an important factor in the Mavericks being able to jump to the front line of defense and end with “16 wins and 2 losses”. March can be called a watershed of the season.

Since Leonard’s injury is unclear, the duo of Doncic and Irving will have more room to play, and they must grasp such victory conditions. This is indeed Luka Doncic’s team. His scoring in the current playoffs is only inferior to Michael Jordan, but Irving’s presence makes this responsibility no longer heavy. Being like a fish in water is exactly how to describe this relationship.

Yes, the Mavericks have Irving. This is the biggest difference between them and 2020 and 2021. It is the key to making opponents need to fear them more. Adding Daniel Gafford and Derek Lively inside can effectively improve the ability to protect the frame and reduce points lost; but if the offensive end still only relies on Doncic to fire steadily, it will only fall into the same predicament as before.

The previous pairings weren’t bad, but they couldn’t provide the same level of help as Irving. Irving has mentioned many times that he has found his home in Dallas, and Doncic has made no secret of his respect for him – after all, he knows better than anyone else how Irving personally changed everything.

From loss to excellence, from abyss to playoff dark horse, now they are finally back.