Mavericks' glaring Kyrie Irving hole already has a clear solution

The odyssey of D’Angelo Russell has been a career full of ups and downs. But if the Mavericks are to have any chance of making the playoffs this season, they need D’Angelo Russell to commence with his best Kyrie Irving impersonation ASAP. 

Murphy’s Law states that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” The Mavericks organization would attest to the validity of that statement. Anthony Davis went down already.  Dereck Lively II is hurt, Klay Thompson is a shadow of himself, and Cooper Flagg may be in over his head playing extensive minutes at point guard as a rookie.

Enter the curious case of D'Angelo Russell. Former NBA All-Star turned NBA journeyman all by the tender age of 29.

D’Angelo Russell, aka “DLo,” was brought in for the express purpose of replacing Kyrie Irving’s skillset while he rehabs from ACL surgery. The Mavs hoped that Russell would be able to steady things until Irving came back without rocking the boat too much. But the boat seems to have capsized on the Mavs, and everyone is trying to keep their heads above water.

Mavericks must unleash D'Angelo Russell to survive without Kyrie Irving

The season is in jeopardy. Already.

What happened? We’ve seen flashes of what Russell could be and how the Mavs’ offense can solidify itself moving forward. But Jason Kidd needs to commit to a specific offensive strategy. Are they developing young talent for the future, or… are they trying to win right now? It’s been a mixed bag.

Current events have Kyrie Irving possibly rushing back before he’s fully ready in a last-ditch effort to salvage the season. Not the ideal situation for a 33-year-old player returning from a major injury of the lower extremity.

Coach Jason Kidd has shirked conventional wisdom and decided he fancies a big guard lineup similar to what his Texas neighbors, the Houston Rockets, have employed since Fred VanVleet tore his ACL in September. This was not the original game plan, and the Mavs are suffering because of it.

The Mavericks need to let D'Angelo Russell set the tone with the starters

Kyrie Irving is the type of player who can score or help you manufacture a quality shot in almost any situation. This is what the Mavericks lack in large stretches of games. It's almost like guys are playing a game of hot potato to see who has “it” on a particular night. There’s no flow. There’s no rhythm. They look stagnant. And there’s no spacing. Flagg is doing his best and has great instincts, but the Mavs have looked very disjointed getting into their offensive sets early in games.

Russell can be that temporary antidote and is starting to find his footing after averaging 19.5 points, 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 threes, and 1.0 steals in 27.3 minutes over the last four games. He connected on a season-best seven 3-pointers while scoring a season high 31 points Saturday vs Detroit.

This wasn’t an aberration. D’Angelo Russell is more than capable. He's had plenty of games like this. He's in his prime.  But he needs to be empowered. Dallas needs to start the games with him so he can set the tempo, find his offensive rhythm (which is equally important), get Thompson and Flagg some easy buckets, and then guards like Max Christie and Brandon Williams can feed off that energy and keep the momentum going. 

Certain players know how to play their limited role effectively, even when their minutes are sporadic. Players like Russell play their best when they can find their flow without looking over their shoulder, even after taking an ill-advised shot or making a turnover.

The Mavs can't afford Russell retreating into his shell and playing tentatively. They need this aggressive version of Russell and more. Scoring points hasn't been easy to come by these days. Russell needs to ask himself, "What would Kyrie do?"

The Mavs also need Russell's confidence to be high when Irving comes back and he's sent back to the bench, as they will need his offensive punch and playmaking to guide the second unit. Giving Russell the green light benefits all parties.

This is D'Angelo Russell. He’s not Kyrie Irving. But he can be a good imitation if you squint your eyes just a little bit.