Once again, Mark Cuban went “all in” in the middle of the season, and last February, he fell for Kyrie Irving, from the Nets. A most unsuccessful choice since the Mavericks plummeted in the standings after the All-Star Game to the point of missing the “play-in” and therefore the playoffs.
But Cuban has more ideas, so he extended Irving this summer, confident that the former All-Star point guard can play alongside Luka Doncic.
“Last year we had some issues that had nothing to do with Kyrie or Luka playing together”assures Cuban at the microphone of the pat beverley podcast. “Of the 900 possessions they played together, they were in the top 5 in the league. We just didn’t have a team where everyone got involved in their role. The year before, when we went to the Western Conference Finals, everyone knew their role and played it perfectly. And it wasn’t Kyrie or Luka, they knew their role. But once other players start playing for themselves or not playing for the team, any mistakes you can make are amplified to the extreme. »
“I didn’t know him at all. I had just read the same articles as everyone else”
This is why the Mavericks have changed their squad a lot with the arrivals of Richaun Holmes (Kings), Dante Exum (Partizan Belgrade), Grant Williams (Celtics) and the return of Seth Curry (Nets). “We have made changes, and even a lot of changes this year, on and off the pitch. We have rejuvenated the workforce, we have added size” continues Cuban.
The boss of the Mavericks also defends the personality of Irving. Sulphurous character, able to share conspiratorial content or to affirm that the Earth is flat, Irving would however be appreciated by all.
“When you’re out there, you hear a lot about Kyrie…I didn’t know him at all. I had just read the same articles as everyone else and saw the guy go from one team to another, which gave me an idea. But I started talking to people before he arrived, and everyone liked him. When you talk to people, they love Kyrie. Look after the matches, the guys swap shirts. People approach and hug Kyrie. Now that I’ve gotten to know Kyrie better, I know he’s like that. Kyrie wants to reflect, Kyrie wants to connect with people and history and know who he is. He just wants to take it to the next level on a personal level.”
“Very great basketball players know how to play with others”
Cuban finally assures that there are no ego problems with Doncic, and that the Slovenian had been involved in the recruitment of the former point guard of the Cavaliers and the Celtics.
“Luka and I have a very good relationship, and we all talk. It’s not just my decision or Luka’s. It is an open dialogue. But we knew we had to do something because even before the trade we were at 29v-26d. The Western Conference is crazy, we were in fifth place, but we had no team. But a lot of that comes down to the roles. People say that Kai and Luka complement each other well. Kyrie knows it’s Luka’s team. Kyrie knows how Luka plays. Great basketball players know how to play with others. »
