“What Kyrie Irving Has Been Able to Do”: Gilbert Arenas Praises Mavs Star’s Sacrifice for Luka Doncic, Highlights Performance in Last 5 Games

With the Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving has found an abode where he can be motivated enough to perform consistently. While his teammates have made Irving feel comfortable in the locker room, the organization has also given him a three-year extension in the offseason, the totality of which has been reflected in his performances. To cover the team’s rebounding woes, Kyrie has also upped his rebounding chops. In the last five games, he has tallied 37.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. 

On the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, Gilbert Arenas lauded Irving for his recent exploits for the Mavs in the absence of their centerpiece, Luka Doncic. Arenas also noted the sacrifice that Kyrie has made for the Mavs to accommodate Doncic’s scoring needs every game. The former Wizards Guard pointed out that now that Doncic is gone, we learned “who he[Kyrie] really is”, underlining his latest surge in numbers. 

Meanwhile, Gil’s Arena co-host Josiah Johnson brought up the stat that Kyrie Irving is the first player in NBA history to have scored 40+ points with three different teammates. While showcasing this stat, Johnson acknowledged Doncic’s MVP-level form this year, but also gave his props to Kyrie as a suitable #2 option, who can easily be the #1 option if required.

The crew kept emphasizing how the former Cavs guard is a “willing Robin” and if he wants, he can play Batman as well. Arenas and Co. acknowledged that Kai is taking the backseat for the sake of his MVP-caliber teammate. 

Irving’s scoring outburst shows how the modern NBA is filled with elite scorers, who can easily produce MVP-level numbers. Therefore, it will be foolish to judge every player based on his stat sheet and raw numbers. A lot of players in winning teams make sacrifices for the team to succeed, which often go unnoticed.

A look at the Mavs record with and without Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic

As great as the Doncic-Irving duo looks on paper, the results have been a tad underwhelming when they play together. When they have featured together, the Mavs have 19 losses and just 17 wins. However, the stat can be a bit misleading because most of the losses are from last season when Irving had just joined the Mavs after the February 2023 trade. Earlier this year, the Mavs started 8-2 and the two guards had been meshing well. However, since then, both guards have suffered injuries, which have prevented them playing together. Doncic is currently out with a right ankle sprain.

A peek at the Mavs’ record without Irving and Doncic is revealing. They have won 15 and lost 10 when Kai has been active while they have nine wins and seven losses without him. Meanwhile, in Doncic’s absence, they have lost four and won three. However, in the last four games without him, they have a 3-1 winning record. These stats do portray the importance of having either of the two players on the floor for a team that has lacked depth in the past.