With the Mavericks taking on the Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals, an underlying storyline will be stars facing their former teams.
While it's been five years since Kyrie Irving donned Celtics green, Kristaps Porzingis' time in a Mavericks uniform is much more recent — two seasons ago, to be exact.
In 2019, Dallas acquired Porzingis from New York to create an All-Star pairing with Luka Doncic. The talent was undeniable, but the duo's time was limited to 120 games in the regular season and an additional 10 games in the postseason.
On paper, Doncic and Porzingis had the potential to win big. Still, they were unable to get over the hump, ultimately resulting in Dallas cutting its losses by trading Porzingis to Washington. Here's why things didn't work out when Dallas tried to build around Doncic and Porzingis.
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Why Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis didn't work
During a December appearance on JJ Redick's "The Old Man and The Three" podcast, Porzingis opened up about why things didn't pan out during his time in Dallas.
"It's a big mix of things," Porzingis told Redick. "Maturity, for sure — I'm talking about what I could have done better — … Maturity on my part, for sure.
"I wasn't that much into analytics and numbers. If somebody at that stage of my career presented it to me the right way and said 'This is what we need to do, this is what we need from you — you're going to be way more effective doing this,' I think that would have made a difference."
Porzingis made it a point to focus on his lack of maturity, which he cited as the reason for multiple shortcomings. In addition to an unwillingness to buy into the team's analytical approach, Porzingis indicated that immaturity took a toll on his relationship with Doncic.
"I think we both tried to make it work," Porzingis said of the dynamic with Doncic. "It's just communication — maturity and communication — on both of our parts should have been better."
Redick, who spent two months in Dallas alongside Doncic and Porzingis, recalled a story in which Porzingis urged head coach Rick Carlisle to call Doncic out in the huddle during the game. The story illustrated the pride factor at play between two young stars.
In addition to the issues Porzingis outlined, Redick made it a point to mention Porzingis' injuries with the Mavericks. When he was acquired from New York, Porzingis' ACL rehab delayed his Dallas debut until the next season.
Porzingis' first playoff run with the Mavericks ended early due to a torn meniscus, which resulted in him rehabbing into the next season. Once he was back in action, Porzingis was on a heavy minutes restriction that limited his production.
While things did not work out, it is worth noting that Doncic and Porzingis posted a 71-49 (.592) record when suiting up next to one another in the regular season. Had circumstances been different, the results may have been more fruitful.
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Kristaps Porzingis Mavericks stats
- 3 seasons (134 games)
- 30.9 minutes per game
- 20.0 points per game
- 8.8 rebounds per game
- 1.8 assists per game
- 1.7 blocks per game
- 0.6 seals per game
- 44.8 percent field goal shooting
- 34.5 percent 3-point shooting
- 83.1 percent free throw shooting
