Mavs vs. Clippers Preview: Kyrie Irving's Debut; Luka Doncic Injury Update

The Dallas Mavericks play the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. With Kyrie Irving set to make his debut for the Mavs, even without Luka Doncic, the Mavs have a puncher's chance.

After all the hype, dread, and overall stress-inducing discourse of the Dallas Mavericks' trade for Kyrie Irving on Sunday, it's time to see why Nico Harrison made such a risky move. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, who deploy disrupting wings like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Irving's body-bending layups and overall acrobatics make for a potential showdown in Hollywood.

Win or lose for either team, the stars will be sure to entertain. 

Wednesday marks the beginning of the Irving era in Dallas. While known as the city of angels, both professional Los Angeles basketball teams lost their wings in the trade deadline duel against the Mavs in the Irving sweepstakes.

Irving had a moment to reflect on the theoretical trade sweepstakes, which, in the long-run, could maximize his free agency earning potential on June 30. 

Dallas can't afford to let up on the momentum it created coming off a morale-lifting victory vs. the Utah Jazz on Monday. Quite frankly, it was one of the more impressive wins of the Mavs' season.

Without Luka Doncic (heel contusion) in the rotation for at least one more game, expect the Mavs to push the pace once again, especially with Irving being added into the mix.

In theory, the idea of replicating last Monday's performance sounds good, but personnel matters. Despite adding Irving, the Clippers duo of Leonard and George complicate Dallas' chances of pushing the tempo. However, the Clippers' defense isn't an all-around juggernaut. Despite ranking 10th in defensive rating, LA ranks in the bottom-10 of the league regarding opponents' fast break points.

Per 100 possessions, the Clippers allow 12.7 transition points, just a .01 difference from the lottery-bound San Antonio Spurs. Without Doncic's methodical approach with the basketball, Irving's Spiderman-like maneuvers may enable the young-and-hungry Mavs to reenact their latest performance vs. the Jazz. 

It's hard to fathom Josh Green not cracking the starting lineup again after his career-high performance in Utah. Aside from the counting stats, Green's movement with and without the ball do enough damage to give his opponents whiplash. Green's motor will keep the Clippers honest and give Irving room to operate the offense. 

Not only did Green post a career-high 29 points, but he did an about-face in net rating. Against the Warriors last Saturday, he posted a -50 net rating. Astonishingly, Green posted a +39 in the same category vs. the Jazz - talk about a turnaround. Rookie guard Jaden Hardy also posted a career-high 29 points in 26 minutes off the bench.

Even if the Clippers don't take the night off like the Jazz seemed to do, this isn't the same athletically-imposing squad from years past. 

Reclamation project John Wall hasn't panned out as the Los Angeles front office hoped. Marcus Morris is a good stretch option but falls in the 28th percentile of opponent's points scored per 100 possessions. Even the young-and-bruising Ivaca Zubac, the Clippers' best center, has a significant problem. His on-off stats indicate his opponents outperform with him guarding the rim, as they shoot +1.7 percent better.

While the Clippers, historically, have success vs. Dallas, whether in the playoffs or regular season, Irving's gravity-defying play and the coming-of-age Green and Hardy could give Los Angeles fits. 

FUN FACT: It's hard not to discuss the Mavs' win against the Jazz, as it proved Dallas can play fast. Besides the noticeable pace difference, the off-the-chart efficiency carried Dallas to victory. Dallas recorded a 127.8 offensive rating last Saturday, the highest mark since the December 31 against the San Antonio Spurs. 

RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (29-26), Los Angeles Clippers (31-26)

WHEN: Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - 9:00 p.m. CT

WHERE: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA)

TV: ESPN, Bally Sports Southwest

RADIO: 97.1 The Freak

ODDS: The Los Angeles Clippers are favored seven points over the Dallas Mavericks.

NEXT UP: The Dallas Mavericks play the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

FINAL WORD: While Irving's 2023 free agency destination receives heavy rotation in the NBA media circle discourse, the Mavs must focus on maximizing the Irving-Doncic backcourt in the present. Regardless of what's to come, the Western Conference is so wide-open at this point that even a seven-seed making the Finals doesn't seem impossible. 

Admittedly, it's easy to think of the potentially chaotic free agency period when it comes to the Irving trade. However, now that the move is official, playing for June is the only thing that matters to Dallas, and Irving seems to be all-in on the journey.  

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