Jason Kidd Gives Bold Kyrie Irving Prediction

Could Irving find a way to exceed expectations in his second full season in Dallas?

Nov 19, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd talks with guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving's reputation has never been better after a year and a half in Dallas. He's become a perfect co-star for Luka Doncic and helped lead the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. He and Doncic combined to score almost 60 PPG, and Jason Kidd thinks Irving can be even better this season.

Kidd sat down with DLLS' Marc Stein for a one-on-one interview and discussed what he expects out of Irving this season.

READ MORE: Jaylen Brown Compares Guarding Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to Music

"He has really loved being in Dallas,” Kidd said to Stein. “He loves the situation. He respects Nico [Harrison] and myself. He wants to win and I think you saw that in the numbers he put up… You can see that in training camp. He's doing all the reps, doesn't want to sit out. I think you're going to see an even better Kyrie this season.”

Irving suffered a broken hand in the offseason but will be 100% for the start of the season and is becoming even more comfortable in his role as a leader. He hasn't played more than 60 games since the 2018-19 season with the Boston Celtics, so Kidd hopes Irving can be more available this season. When Doncic and Irving shared the floor last season, the Mavs were 35-16 in the regular season. Spread that out over 82 games and they could've won 56 games last season.

There were conversations about Doncic and Irving being the most talented backcourt of all time because of their postseason performances, but they need to have some success in the regular season, too. Doncic is the top contender for MVP on most betting sites, and Irving is still an All-Star talent, he just has to play in enough games.

With the improvements the Mavericks made this offseason, bringing in Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and more, they should be a contender for the top seed in the Western Conference. They'll have some tough competition with the OKC Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets, but the Mavs have all of the momentum following their run to the NBA Finals.

READ MORE: Klay Thompson Is Learning To Love Basketball Again

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