Jason Kidd explains how Kyrie Irving leads by example for the Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving on Feb. 6, 2023, hoping he could form a dominant duo with star Luka Doncic and help the franchise win its first NBA title since 2011.

It’s taken 13 months, but that scenario is now happening now as the Mavs have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, posting a 13-2 record in their last 15 games and have climbed to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

A big reason is the play of Irving, the 13-year veteran, who is in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career leading the Mavs on and off the court.

“Just getting healthy and being able to put a lot of games together and just showcasing what I’ve always known to be true, is that I impact winning on a positive manner and when I’m out there on the floor, I give our, our team a better chance of winning,” said Irving.

Irving’s first season with the Mavs ended in disappointment. The Mavs failed to make the playoffs, going 8-12 in his 20 games. The Mavs didn’t fare much better , posting a 30-32 record before he arrived.

Irving was a controversial trade addition because he shared a documentary considered anti-Semitic by many and he posted a video by Alex Jones. Irving did distance himself from Jones and apologized for sharing the video on X, formerly Twitter.

After missing the playoffs last year Mavs general manager Nico Harrison said the team wouldn’t be in that position again this season. With five games left in the regular season, the Mavs find themselves in the No. 5 seed and safely out of the NBA postseason play-In tournament.

This season, Irving is averaging 25.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds while averaging a career-low 1.8 turnovers per game. The eight-time all-star has also been one of the league’s most efficient players shooting 49. 4 percent from the field, 41.3 percent from three and 90.7 percent from the free throw line.

Irving is close to the second 50-40-90 shooting split season, which encompasses field goal, three-point and free throw percentage, in his career and would become only the fourth player in NBA history to have multiple seasons hitting that benchmark joining Larry Bird, Steve Nash and his former teammate Kevin Durant.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talked about what Kyrie Irving brings to the Mavs before their game on Friday which the Mavs won 108-106 at American Airlines Center.

“Kyrie he just sort of dances, he dances out there and he’s got incredible feet and speed and quickness,” said Kerr, “it’s one of the reasons Dallas is where they are now.”

Irving has made a huge impact on the Mavs off the court according to head coach Jason Kidd.

“[Kyrie] has been off the charts. He’s, he’s one of our leaders on and off the floor, he’s been incredible. He’s delivered in the clutch, he’s played off the ball, he’s played on the ball, he’s competing on the defensive end,” said Kidd, “So as a leader, that’s what you need examples and that’s what he’s doing for us right now.”

The Mavs were without an injured Luka Doncic on Friday in their game against the Warriors and Irving had a near triple-double scoring 26 points with eight rebounds and seven assists.

Kidd praised Irving’s style of play and performance in the postgame press conference.

“[Irving’s] ability to trust and, and uplift his teammates at a high level is rare in this league, but he does it on a nightly basis,” said Kidd.

“That’s what he does and he takes what the defense gives him. He’s very unselfish,” said Kidd, “His shot-making ability is one of the best in the league and he plays the game the right way. And so, when you play the game the right way, good things happen and, you can see that right now with Kai, with Luka, without Luka.”

The Mavs have clinched a post in the playoffs and have five games left to improve their seeding. Irving knows that wins like Friday’s will be crucial in preparing the Mavs for the rigors of the playoffs.

“So, coming into tonight, I think a lot of the guys on the court playing tonight felt you know, we had something to prove,” said Irving, “That’s what it’s supposed to be when you’re going against a veteran ball club that has a high IQ that’s gonna challenge you defensively just gonna get out in transition, shoot a bunch of threes, talk a little-ish to you and, and get you going and it just only makes you better.”

The Southwest Division leading Mavericks have five regular-season games remaining, including Sunday afternoon’s home game against Houston. The playoffs are on the horizon and the Mavs will need Irving to continue his strong play.