3 Things Kyrie Irving needs to do to get back into the top 15 NBA players

The Dallas Mavericks made a huge commitment to winning this summer after falling on their face last year, missing out on the postseason entirely, and finishing in 11th place in the Western Conference.

In turn, the Mavericks made a ton of additions to their roster this offseason, improving their team around Luka Doncic in hopes of making it back to the playoffs.

Dallas traded for Grant Williams and Richaun Holmes, drafted Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and signed Seth Curry and Dante Exum in free agency.

3 Things Kyrie Irving needs to do to get back into the top 15 NBA players

But most importantly, the Mavericks re-signed superstar point guard Kyrie Irving to a new three-year, $126 million contract, which was their top priority this offseason.

The Mavericks traded for Irving at the deadline this past year, sending out Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and draft capital to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange.

Irving is one of the best point guards in the league, but the drama that has surrounded him over the past few seasons has tainted many people’s view of the star.

When it comes to pure talent, he’s still one of the best in the business, but with guys like Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ja Morant, and more roaming the hardwood, Irving has some stiff competition at the point guard spot.

At his best, Irving should be rivaling the best players in the league for a spot in most fans’ top 10-15 players, but since he hasn’t been on the court consistently for a couple of years, the rest of the league’s talent has caught up to him.

Here are three ways Irving can reenter the league’s top 15 players this season as a sure thing.

1. Create a dominant duo with Luka Doncic

As much as Kyrie Irving’s individual skills and accolades will help fans remember just how amazing he with, the star will now be tied to Luka Doncic for the foreseeable future.

The Dallas Mavericks traded for Irving in hopes of him forming a bond with Doncic, as the veteran guard is almost certainly the best player that the Slovenian star has ever played with.

Because of that, Irving’s season this year, and all of his seasons in a Dallas uniform after that, will largely be judged based on how well he and Doncic perform together rather than just how they play on an individual level.

The backcourt that Dallas created with the two stars is fairly unconventional, as both usually require the ball in their hands to be at their best. But that’s where Irving can adapt and make himself stand out.

Irving has played a secondary role before. Just look at his time with the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers. He played behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

If he can once again accept a secondary scoring role and thrive next to Doncic, fans and media alike will remember just how great of a player Irving truly is.

His ability to form a dominant duo alongside Irving will go a long way in him shooting up people’s player rankings.

2. Win games

This is the first in a string of two obvious answers, but if Kyrie Irving wants to be recognized as one of the 15 best players in the league by almost everyone, he needs to help the Dallas Mavericks win games.

Two years ago, Jalen Brunson helped the Mavericks make a miracle run to the Western Conference finals in 2022. In turn, he was rewarded with a New York Knicks contract and has since blossomed into an All-Star-caliber player.

Unfortunately, the Mavericks took a step back last year, missing the postseason entirety. That’s where Irving comes in. That’s why the Mavericks traded for him.

Luka Doncic has yet to have a co-star with whom he’s consistently won at the highest level with. If there were ever a player to help him do it (of those he’s played with), it would be Irving.

Irving could put up 40 points per game and shoot 80% from the field, but if the Mavericks fail to make the playoffs for the second straight year, no one will appreciate his greatness.

On the other hand, if the Mavericks are able to make a massive resurgence and get themselves back into the playoff picture, and Irving is a big reason why, he should skyrocket up player rankings.

3. Play games

Again, this is another obvious stipulation for Kyrie Irving to once again be regarded as a top 15 player in the NBA, but it’s never been more necessary for the star point guard.

This past season was the first time since the 2018-19 season in which Irving played at least 60 games, and he did it across two teams with the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks.

In the seasons in between, Irving played in 20 games, 54 games, and 29 games, respectively. He missed time for a multitude of different reasons throughout those three years.

Over the course of that time, Irving dealt with injuries, off-the-court issues, and a suspension by the Nets. But regardless of the variety of reasons, the point is that Irving wasn’t on the court much.

If Irving struggles with missed time again this year, then he won’t even have the chance to earn back the respect of the general NBA public. That’s where it all starts.

The Mavericks desperately need Irving to stay on the court if they want to win at the highest level, and if he wants to be seen as a top-15 player in the league again, he needs to stay on the court.