Crafting the Dallas Mavericks' ideal 5-man starting lineup after the trade deadline

4. Shooting guard: Kyrie Irving

Another big surprise.

Kyrie Irving remains as the Dallas Mavericks' ideal shooting guard following the trade deadline.

Although Irving has been battling injuries as of late, he finally returned to action against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. The Mavs needed him back badly, and now hopefully he can stay healthy for the remainder of the season.

This season for Dallas, Irving is averaging 23.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from downtown.

Irving's small decline in scoring has been noticeable, but he was just starting to play the best basketball of the season before Powell fell on his leg. Getting in a rhythm takes time, and him getting back to playing at an elite level following injury shouldn't take too long.

Irving and Luka Doncic have turned into even more of a lethal duo, and fans should be excited about building around this duo into the future. Dallas doesn't necessarily need a third star, they just need to add a few more complimentary role players to fill the holes in the roster.

Irving and Doncic can continue to carry the load on offense, but adding a few pieces that can take their rebounding and defense to the next level would be beneficial.