The (on-court) redemption of Kyrie Irving

Jeremy Vernon

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The (on-court) redemption of Kyrie Irving image

Last February, most NBA general managers wouldn’t have touched Kyrie Irving with a 94-foot pole.

On top of drawing criticism for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, promoting strange conspiracy theories and sharing a link to an antisemitic film, the veteran guard ultimately asked for a trade from the Brooklyn Nets after spending three and a half mediocre years alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden.

Despite Irving’s clear talent, his off-court antics dramatically hurt his trade value. That’s part of the reason why the Mavericks got him for so cheap — only sending Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, two second-round picks and a first to Brooklyn for Irving and Markief Morris.

Now, Irving is one of the main reasons why Dallas is on the cusp of its first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. Sharing the spotlight with All-NBA selections Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Irving was arguably the best player on the court — scoring 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting to lift the Mavericks to a win.

Before the series started, Edwards made noise by saying he would be the one to guard Irving in the half court. That plan backfired almost immediately, as Irving totaled 24 of his 30 points in the first half. By the end of the game, Edwards was clearly gassed after spending most of the night chasing Irving around the perimeter and trying to stay in front of him in isolation scenarios.

Irving was 4-for-5 in the first half with Edwards as his primary defender. In 13 games so far this postseason, Irving is averaging 21.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 48.6% from the field and 42.3% from 3-point range.

After the win in Game 1, Irving thanked Edwards for giving him added incentive to perform.

“I used it as a motivation,” Irving said of Edwards’ decision to guard him. “When I was sitting at home and I saw it, I was like, it’s just a nod of respect … I was at home with my family, watching Game 7, and Ant comes out and says, ‘I got Kyrie,’ But also, that’s a no-fear mentality and that’s why we love Ant.”

On top of his play on offense, Irving has also been a surprisingly adequate defender during these playoffs. Over the past few weeks he has drawn tough matchups against Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and James Harden/Paul George, but he has held his own each time his number is called.

So far this postseason, Dallas had a team defensive rating of 110.6, a big improvement over its regular season number of 114.9.

On top of his tangible skills on the court, Irving also gives the Mavericks a veteran presence with experience playing on the biggest stages. Even before these playoffs, Irving had made the Conference Finals on four separate occasions and appeared in the NBA Finals in three straight seasons from 2015-17.

Irving has credited much of his renaissance to Dallas head coach Jason Kidd, who was also one of the most offensively-gifted guards on the court when he played from 1994-2013. After the Mavericks beat the Clippers in Round 1, Kidd — a 10-time All-Star — told reporters how impressed he has been with how Irving has carried himself since joining the team.

“We don’t see that perception of what’s been written in the past. We’re only in the present,” Kidd said. “What he’s doing is rewriting his journey. When we got him, people didn’t think he was going to fit with Luka (Doncic). That changed quickly … We all have our own opinions about different things. He’s worldly, which is a beautiful thing. Most of us aren’t and we’re just stuck in our sport, but he can talk about other things. Sometimes, that scares people. I think what he’s done for us is be a leader, and he’s teaching these young men how to be pros, and that’s something we needed.”

Irving helped the Cavaliers earn their first NBA title in franchise history in 2016 while playing alongside superstar LeBron James. His role with this year’s Mavericks team is quite similar, with him playing second fiddle to the do-everything Doncic, who is averaging 27.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game.

If the Mavericks take down the Timberwolves and advance to the NBA Finals, it will be their first appearance in the final series of the season since 2011, when a Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas team upset the “Big Three” era Miami Heat featuring LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Game 2 of Dallas-Minnesota will start at 8 p.m. EST on Friday night.

Jeremy Vernon

Jeremy Vernon Photo

Jeremy Vernon is a reporter and editor from Greensboro, North Carolina, with a decade of experience in the industry. His previous stops include MLB.com and two local papers in N.C. — the Monroe Enquirer-Journal and the Chatham News + Record. When he isn’t working, you can likely find Jeremy at the dog park with his two-year old lab mix, Summer.