Kyrie Irving is, at last, out of Brooklyn. After all the drama and conflicts in the last two years, his exit is a bittersweet end to his tenure with the Nets. Perhaps the biggest thing fans will miss will be watching Irving and Kevin Durant dominate together. However, now that he is a Maverick, there is also excitement for Kyrie and Luka Doncic playing on the same team.
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However, there are still some doubts about how the team would look with Kyrie on the roster. Jason Kidd, while answering this question, reminded reporters that the team followed a similar guard-based lineup until recently. He then went on to compare Jalen Brunson and Kai.
Jason Kidd believes Kyrie Irving will be a better fit for Mavs than Brunson
While discussing Kyrie’s role in Dallas, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd recalled how well Brunson was for the team. He claimed that JB’s playmaking was highly influential for the Mavs. He then pointed out how Kyrie Irving was a far more skilled playmaker than Brunson.
Callie Caplan of Dallas News tweeted the interaction with Kidd. She wrote:
“Jason Kidd on Kyrie Irving’s fit with Luka Doncic: “We look back at when we had JB, being able to have a play-maker like that. When you look at Ky — nothing against JB — but Ky is at a different level, so this gives us another weapon. Someone’s going to be free.”
— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) February 7, 2023
Kidd is not wrong. Though Jalen Brunson is definitely a good asset for a team, he is not at all on the same level as Irving. Kyrie is instead on an elite level. He is easily one of the greatest guards to ever play the game. His skills and shot-making are influential but his playmaking is what will make the Dallas Mavericks even more lethal.
Kyrie will wear #2 in Dallas
In Dallas, Irving will wear the number 2. It’s the same number he wore while in Cleveland. When he left for Boston, it was changed to 11. Now, it looks like Kai wants to go back to his glory days.
Perhaps that is indeed on the table. Luka Doncic has proven he can win the game without any other star. In KD’s absence, Kyrie did something similar. The two are self-reliable and capable leaders. If they can build good chemistry, the duo of Luka and Kyrie may just be the push Dallas needed to become serious contenders.