Kyrie Irving 1-on-1: Return to Dallas Mavs Lineup, Luka Doncic Greatness, Season Evaluation

Kyrie Irving spoke with DallasBasketball.com on a wide range of topics, including his return to the lineup, Luka Doncic's greatness, and his evaluation of the Dallas Mavs after 20 games.

DALLAS — After missing one game due to foot soreness, Kyrie Irving returned to the Dallas Mavericks lineup to help lead a 50-point blowout victory against the Utah Jazz. The reigning NBA All-Star starter finished with 26 points, four assists, and three steals, shooting 11-16 from the floor and 4-7 from beyond the arc. 

The eight-time All-Star has dealt with foot injuries throughout the 2023-24 season, dating back to preseason. Despite that, he's averaging 23.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 16 appearances, shooting 46.7 percent overall, 38.4 percent from 3-point range, and 89.8 percent on free throws. 

After the Mavs' loss against the Memphis Grizzlies last week, Irving revealed he felt a "tweak" in his foot early in the game, resulting in him finishing with just 10 points, shooting 3-15 from the floor and 0-5 from deep. He was sidelined for Dallas' following outing, a duel versus the Oklahoma City Thunder on the second night of a back-to-back.

Irving is happy to be back in the Mavs’ lineup following a one-game absence, and he’s playing at a high level after getting back on track physically.

"Oh man, it felt good [to be back]," Irving told DallasBasketball.com. "It felt like we needed one of these games as a team, just to be able to establish good rhythm going on the road. Last game I played against Memphis, I was disappointed in how my body felt after that game. We just took a few days to get some rest and lift and just do everything to be able to sustain the level I was playing at before that game. I have some acute injuries, but you got to be able to battle through."

While the Jazz deployed a shorthanded group of personnel with reigning NBA All-Star Lauri Markannen sidelined due to injury, the Mavs picked up where they left off in terms of utilizing Irving and Luka Doncic operating in the half-court offensively. The core of the Mavs' attack is to hunt mismatches for Doncic to exploit, but the team has continued to progress with the two superstars deployed together in half-court actions to apply maximum pressure on the defense. 

"It's becoming easier, bro … game-to-game, solidifying our roles and just keeping our opponents guessing," Irving said. "They're going to put different coverages on myself and Luka. So we just got to be prepared as a squad to be able to take advantage of some of their weaknesses on that end."

Dallas Mavericks superstars Kyrie Irving (left) and Luka Doncic (right) during the 2023-24 NBA season / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

One of the next steps Irving sees for the Mavs is to play better perimeter defense, preventing dribble penetration. Getting defensive stops and closing plays with rebounds gives them more control in managing the game. 

"Defensively, when we're playing at a high level, and we're guarding, and we're keeping everything above the perimeter, and people aren't penetrating our paint and finishing, it makes a big difference in terms of the management of the game," Irving said. 

“So I think we're getting better as a team, which is managing the basketball game and ultimately holding each other accountable and playing hard every single night."

Luka Doncic continues to provide incredible results, with his latest performance featuring a 29-point triple-double before halftime. He recorded 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Jazz without even checking back into the game after the third quarter. Irving, who has played with no shortage of iconic players, including LeBron James and Kevin Durant, continues to be amazed by Doncic.

"Insane, bro. I've been with some of the best ever, and to see it up close is one thing, but to experience it as a teammate is a whole different world to be in because you're watching it, and it looks so easy," Irving said of Doncic. 

“But you know, it's a lot of hours put in the gym for that guy—a lot of confidence and ultimately us as teammates. We just want to be there for him and support him. Like if you're having a good night, a great night like that, man, keep feeding him, and he kept going, and we weren't playing around tonight, so it felt good, for sure"

After beginning the season with a 12-8 record, the Mavs reached one of the key benchmark numbers to reflect on what's working and what can improve through 20 games. Irving expressed the importance of the team staying healthy, taking care of winnable games, and studying the rest of the league for trends.  

"Man, I think we're really just trying to stay healthy," Irving said. "That's most important. Pick up the wins that we need to be able to create some separation in the standings. Just pay attention to what's going on around the league, watch a lot of film, and just stay up to date."

A few differences Irving sees around the NBA this season are the degree to which explosive offenses are reaching new heights and how teams are mixing up defensive coverages to try to handle it. With the Mavs relying on some young players to fill important roles, the veterans must help navigate these changes. 

"The league is different than it was last year. Just in small details," Irving said. "High-scoring games. A lot of guys are averaging 30 [points per game]. A lot of guys are getting their shots up. A lot of defenses. Challenging offenses in the league to score 130, man. You've seen a lot of the high-scoring games. 

"I don't know if that's a change in the dynamic of how the game is reffed sort of say, but there are a lot more fast break opportunities," Irving explained. "There's a lot more threes going up. So it continues to adjust to that and make sure our young guys are being able to follow us as, as leaders, they don't really have as much experience as many years in the league."

As one of the Mavs’ leaders, Irving, who won an NBA championship alongside LeBron James in 2016, embraces providing that presence for the team as they continue to work through the marathon of an 82-game season to help ensure the group peaks at the right time. 

"It's our job as young leaders to be able to make sure that we're setting a great example," Irving said. "That's where we are now, man — continuing to set a great example and be there for each other."

The Mavs return to action on Friday when they take on the struggling Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center before finishing up the quick road trip with a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. If all goes according to plan, Irving will be playing in both of those games as the Mavs look to stack wins in an easier part of their schedule.