5 things fans learned from Dallas Mavericks debut of Kyrie Irving

The Dallas Mavericks pulled off a blockbuster trade for Kyrie Irving on Sunday afternoon. He completed his physical in Dallas before joining the team in Los Angeles for Wednesday’s game against the Clippers, and Irving shined in his debut as the Mavericks picked up a 110-104 win. Kyrie finished with 24 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block in 37 minutes of action as Dallas remained undefeated since the trade.

Luka Doncic is out with a heel injury, so fans are still waiting to see the Mavericks new superstar duo in action together. Number 77 is hoping to return for one of the two games in Sacramento this weekend.

Kyrie’s debut gave fans their first glimpse at the 6’2 guard wearing a Mavericks uniform and offered plenty of takeaways of how things will change with the eight-time All-Star on the roster. Head coach Jason Kidd made it clear that this is still Luka’s team, but Irving is the best player that Doncic has ever played with. Here are five things fans learned from Kyrie’s debut.

Thing fans learned from the Dallas Mavericks debut of Kyrie Irving: 5. Solves non-Luka minutes

The Mavs were 0-7 without Luka Doncic in the lineup before trading for Kyrie Irving, and they literally went from the best offense in the NBA with number 77 on the floor to one of the worst without him. Dallas desperately needed another ball-handler, and someone that could run the show when Doncic needs a rest.

Kyrie Irving solves those issues, and that was clear from the opening tip on Wednesday night. Dallas scored 41 first-quarter points without Luka, and it was the newest Maverick that had the offense rolling.

Clippers were doubling Kyrie and trying to force the ball out of his hands, but he kept making the right play. Irving was feeding his teammates, and he lead Dallas to a key victory over the rival Clippers in his debut after just one practice with the team.