The Dallas Mavericks exceeded expectations on their way to the NBA Finals but then underperformed once they got there. The star players for Dallas, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, had poor showings in the championship round, as they could only win one game against the Boston Celtics.
Irving scored under 20 points per game in the finals and shot 27.6 percent from three. In their previous matchup in the Western Conference Finals, he averaged 27 points per game and made 37.5 percent of his threes.
The 2016 NBA champion has matured into a great leader, now entering his fourteenth season in the NBA. He took responsibility for the loss and is ready to jump back on the horse and finish the job next time around.
"We got there for a reason. Blood is definitely in the water," said Irving during a Twitch livestream. "I'm always going to take accountability, and it starts with me. I didn't play my best at all down the stretch, and it's been eating me alive in a healthy way. I've been staying motivated. We're gonna be back."
Irving has been in the lab this summer, and after one full season of playing with Doncic under his belt, the Mavericks could be poised for another deep playoff run. The addition of Klay Thompson will give Dallas an extra layer of championship experience, and they will now face heightened expectations with Doncic heading into year seven.
Losing to one of his former teams most likely added fuel to Irving's fire. His time with the Celtics did not go according to plan for either party and any time the two match up, there is always a little extra motivation.
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