New Energy: Josh Green Thriving Amid Mavs' Post-Trade Roster Changes

Josh Green is having a career-best season for the Dallas Mavericks, and that has only been enhanced since the Kyrie Irving trade. Will Luka Doncic returning from injury take Green's game even higher?

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving nearly one week ago, there was no question that Dallas was upgrading its overall talent on the roster. Irving is a future Hall-of-Fame point guard and one of the most skilled players in the league.

However, there were legitimate questions about the Mavs' defense and depth after they shipped off two key role players in Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie to acquire Irving. Sure, the Mavs might score 130+ points per night with no teams being able to stop Luka Doncic and Irving, but how would the defense fair?

Thanks to the sudden rise of third-year guard Josh Green, there's not as much concern as there was five-to-six days ago. The 22-year-old former No. 18 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft was already have a productive season before the Irving trade, but now he appears to have taken his game to a completely new level, which bodes well for the Mavs' chances of being a true title contender.

Over his last five games, Green is averaging 17.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists, and the Mavs are 4-1 in that span. For the season, Green is averaging career-highs across the board with 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24 minutes per game while shooing 56.4 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from deep. His tenacious defense and energy has been a breath of fresh air for Dallas.

In what was considered to be a make-or-break five-game road trip for the Mavs' season, things looked bleak after Doncic suffered a heel contusion against the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 2. After losing the first game of the road trip at Golden State, though, the Mavs have rattled off three consecutive wins after the Irving trade – all without Doncic and one without Irving.

Dallas will finish up the road trip on Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back against the Sacramento Kings, who are just one game ahead of the Mavs in the Western Conference standings. Irving and Green led the Mavs to a 122-114 win over the Kings on Friday night, combining for 42 points, 17 assists and seven rebounds as starters.

Green has taken the next step in his development, and it has been a big one for Dallas' chances of potentially advancing as far as they did in the postseason as it did last year. And with Doncic probable to return on Saturday, good things should keep piling up for the Mavs, who all of a sudden have a new identity and a new energy about them.

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