The Dallas Mavericks will start the season without Kyrie Irving.
The Dallas Mavericks’ offense will take a bit of a hit as Kyrie Irving will be out until at least January with a torn left ACL.
Dallas still has Anthony Davis and 2025 No. 1 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg.
The Mavericks have one of the best players in the league, but the players need to be great in their roles.
The Mavericks are coming off a preseason victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
During the game, the Mavericks struggled to score as Lakers coach JJ Redick implemented a 2-3 zone.
Kendrick Perkins said Klay Thompson and PJ Washington will have to consistently knock down outside shots if they want to be successful against zone this season.
Washington made 5 of 8 field goals, while Thompson struggled, going 4 of 11.
“Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, they’re going to have to knock down shots at a consistent rate.
“Even last night against the Lakers, they had a hard time scoring because J.J. was in the 2-3 zone.
“He was like, guys, you can’t survive in the paint, you have to shoot from the outside.
“Yes, they’re going to defend at a high level and get transition baskets. When they get into half-court sets, there’s a concern about whether they can make wide-open shots.”
With Irving out of the lineup early in the season, multiple Mavericks players will need to step up.
The Mavericks brought in D’Angelo Russell in the summer to take over lead guard duties in Irving’s absence.
However, the Mavericks could potentially play Flagg at point guard, as the rookie started at point guard in one of the Mavericks’ preseason games.
If the Mavericks are to make it through the first half of the season without Irving and become a championship team, multiple players will need to make it through.