When the Dallas Mavericks traded for perennial All-Star guard Kyrie Irving a number of weeks in the past, some thought that they had simply develop into authentic championship contenders.
In any case, they already had Luka Doncic, a person who places up video game-type stats and is at all times an MVP candidate, in addition to first rate supporting gamers reminiscent of Christian Wooden and Tim Hardaway Jr.
However the commerce, no less than thus far, has been a dud.
The Mavs are a stunning 3-8 with each Irving and Doncic within the lineup, and so they have fallen from sixth place to eleventh place within the Western Convention in a matter of days.
They’ve now misplaced 4 video games in a row, together with back-to-back video games to the Charlotte Hornets, one of many worst groups within the NBA.
It has led Tim MacMahon to name them “probably the most disappointing crew within the NBA.”
“[The Mavs are] probably the most disappointing crew within the NBA!”
—@espn_macmahon pic.twitter.com/ixtrcYItqK
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 27, 2023
He even identified that the Mavs’ 2023 draft decide, which was despatched to the New York Knicks within the Kristaps Porzingis commerce a number of years in the past, is top-10 protected, and that it isn’t a lock that they are going to find yourself retaining it.
One of many largest issues Dallas has is protection, because it ranks twenty third in defensive score.
They’ve an absence of position gamers who play above-average protection or field out and aggressively crash the boards on both finish of the ground.
Assuming Dallas does make the playoffs, they may very well be ripe for a first-round exit.
If that’s how this season ends, one has to marvel if Irving will even be on the roster come subsequent season.
