Nico Harrison once told us a time comes when you must trust the culture built by the Mavs and know it’s so strong, so resilient, any new guy, no matter how much baggage he’s pulling, will simply “fall in line.”
Of course, the addition who prompted Nico’s public reassurance was only Christian Wood, who could fit all his troubles in an overhead bin.
Kyrie Irving’s baggage rivals Southwest’s back-up at Christmas.
Meanwhile, Nico’s culture keeps going out the door.
First to exit from last year’s conference finals run — a fond memory growing foggier by the day — was Jalen Brunson. Biggest personnel screw-up by the Mavs since they let Steve Nash walk. Essentially, it necessitated the risky acquisition of Irving from the Nets at the price of Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, along with a first-round pick in 2029 and a couple of seconds.
For the record, if we ranked culture guys in last year’s memorable run, Brunson, Dinwiddie and DFS would come in somewhere in the Mavs’ top four.
But that was then and this is now: The Mavs haven’t come close to replicating the level they reached in last year’s playoffs for reasons we’ll explore later, and they can’t afford to waste any more of Luka Doncic’s brilliance. Not with the West so wide open now.
The Mavs had to do something big before Thursday’s deadline, and though they may not be finished, Irving, an eight-time All-Star, was pretty much the extent of the star inventory available. At least for what the Mavs had to offer.
For those scoring at home, this deal counts as the franchise’s biggest gamble since, well, 2019, when it made a seven-player deal with the Knicks that essentially netted the Mavs Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Knicks a pair of first-round picks.
On one level, this deal seems a little similar. Both KP and Irving have had a difficult time staying on the floor, though, granted, Irving’s absences have occasionally been self-inflicted.
Would it have been better had Hardaway’s albatross of a contract gone out instead? Sure. Same for Davis Bertans’. For that matter, Dinwiddie was the Mavs’ second-highest paid player, a little high for a guy no better than the third option last year.
The problem was that Dinwiddie had become the Mavs’ second option this season, and even if he had his moments, he’s not on the same level as Irving.
And then there’s this, too: In adding Irving, the Mavs kept him out of the hands of the Lakers and Suns, the other Western Conference teams reportedly in the running for Irving’s services after he demanded a trade last week.
Asked over the weekend if Irving’s addition would lift the Lakers to a potential championship run, LeBron James, who knows a little about keeping Irving in line, called it a “duh question.”
Could Irving do the same for the Mavs? First, you have to assume he’ll be a good teammate. He doesn’t have any more leverage this season. Can’t demand another trade. If he wants a max contract, he has to prove he’s worth it over the remainder of this season. He’ll also have to stay healthy, a perpetual issue.
Even if Irving lives up to his end, it’ll take more than him and Luka. Business must pick up throughout the roster.
Because as good as Irving is offensively -- his track record of coexisting nicely with the likes of LeBron and Kevin Durant should hearten Luka, who reportedly signed off on the deal – he’s not making the Mavs’ woeful defense any better.
Even as poor as his record is without a ball in his hands, Irving’s defensive rating on basketballreference.com is 115.
Reggie Bullock’s is two points worse at 117, and, let’s face it, if he’s not locking down players like he did in the playoffs last year, he has no place on the floor.
Bullock’s regression might stem from the fact that he’ll soon be 32, and he played a lot of playoff minutes last year. Maxi Kleber’s absence hasn’t helped the defense, either. But it’s more than just that. The moves Nico made for Wood and JaVale McGee, a bust, haven’t had the desired impact. Hardaway’s return didn’t come close to making up for Brunson, whom they didn’t really even try to replace. On top of it all, the Mavs don’t seem to enjoy the same chemistry. Losing will do that.
From a purely basketball perspective, then, giving the roster a jolt makes sense. Especially when you consider the asking prices these days. ESPN recently proposed a deal for O.G. Anunoby, a terrific two-way player but in no way a superstar, that would call for three first-round picks in return.
The Mavs are only out one first, which makes this trade less risky than the first involving Porzingis. Until any more news breaks, they still have Josh Green, who may move into DFS’ old role, and Jaden Hardy. Meaning there’s still a future.
Whether it includes Irving over the next two, three or four seasons is something we should learn in the next four or five months. If he can stay healthy and out of ugly headlines, he could help make the Mavs a contender in the West. He’ll need help from his new teammates and a shot of their vaunted culture. Or at least what’s left of it.
Twitter: @KSherringtonDMN