The Dallas Mavericks have advanced to the Western Conference Finals after beating the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder in six games each. The series will kick off Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who stunned the basketball world with a 20-point Game 7 comeback over the Denver Nuggets to advance to their first West Final in 20 years.
Surprisingly, Dallas won these two series behind their revamped defense, rebounding, and role player contributions, a departure from the typical formula the Mavericks have won with in the past. These improvements in other areas of the game have been sorely needed, with superstars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving struggling for a large part of the postseason.
Dallas was able to advance past the Clippers and Thunder because of these factors and those team’s weaknesses, like Kawhi Leonard’s injury problems or the Thunder’s lack of size. Dončić and Irving were allowed to get away with subpar performances vs. these more flawed squads, but it won’t be the same against Minnesota.
If the Mavericks are to survive the Wolves and advance to their first NBA Finals in 13 years, they need their two superstars to step up and deliver their peak performances consistently.
Irving and Dončić Haven’t Played Well Simultaneously
The stats don’t look bad, but the duo isn’t close to their potential
Luka Dončić Kyrie Irving Dallas Mavericks
When the Mavericks paired Irving with Dončić in February 2023, they had a vision of two elite shot creators posting offensive masterpieces at the same time, creating a prolific offense that would carry them past better all-around teams. After missing the playoffs in 2023, Dallas made roster changes, and the reality has been very different.
Both Dončić and Irving had some of the best offensive seasons of their careers in 2024, but the playoffs have been another story. A duo capable of dropping 55–60 points per game on top-tier efficiency while creating open shots for others on a consistent basis has done nothing of the sort in their first two series victories. Instead, they’ve been saved by the Mavericks’ excellent cast of role players who have changed the identity of the franchise since the trade deadline.
Irving played like the superstar he is throughout the Clippers series, but completely dropped off to role player production against Oklahoma City. Meanwhile, Dončić was a shell of himself against LA while he nursed his various injuries, then played better in the Thunder matchup, but still not up to his typical standard.
