Kyrie Irving played with joy and finesse during the All-Star game tonight. Among his highlights, a self ally-oop dunk, a rare occurrence for the Mavericks point guard. “I still got bounce, man. I’m getting more athletic in my 30s,” KAI sarcastically said. But with the glittering night at Oracle now done, the focus of every superstar shifts towards the final stretch of the season.
The Dallas Mavericks are caught in a particularly tough puzzle. Many of their fans are hoping for the team’s downfall following the shocking trade for Luka Doncic. And as a team, the Mavs aren’t fully loaded with to play their best basketball for a long time. While Irving still holds belief in his teammates, he did admit the team’s priority is to first ‘get healthy’.
“Yeah for sure. Man we’re going to put our best foot forward. We can’t make any promises right now. We just got to get healthy man. So that’s where my focus is. Then once we do that, we put one game together at a time. Great games consecutively, consistently then I will have a better answer for you,” Irving told the reporters after the All-Star game.
May 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd high fives guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Mavericks’ roster ailments exist heavily at the center position. Both Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford are out for with long-term injuries. Anthony Davis had an explosive debut with Dallas, displaying his versatility and brute force. Sadly, it ended with him aggravating his abductor strain, and is now said to be out for multiple weeks.
Kyrie Irving has managed to be supreme amidst these injuries. His output has spiked. But the lack of size is still a major weakness for the Mavericks who are trying to secure a spot in the Top-6. Without their center rotation, the task at hand is extremely difficult. The only way to get out of these precarious waters is by remaining together and playing with optimism.
However, the Mavericks were dealt with another major blow on Sunday morning.
Mavericks’ assistant coach caught in major trouble
Hours before the All-Star game would be underway in Oakland, chilling news from Dallas augmented the Mavericks’ already existent troubles. According to WFAA, Darrell Armstrong, the assistant coach for the franchise was arrested for ‘aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon’ at his apartment.
So far, Armstrong hasn’t directly responded to the situation. His lawyer, Larry Taylor said, “We are in the preliminary stages of conducting our own independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding yesterday’s incident”. In light of such alarming news, the Mavericks also released a statement.
“The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident involving a member of our staff and are gathering all relevant information surrounding the incident. We take this matter seriously. The employee has been placed on administrative suspension pending the outcome of legal proceedings. This matter is currently under review by the appropriate legal authorities. Due to this fact, we will allow the legal process to run its course and we will refrain from further comment while proceedings are ongoing,” the franchise wrote.
Having been an assistant coach for the Mavericks for over a decade, not having Armstrong’s insights is another problem the Mavericks don’t have an answer to. All they can hope is that Kyrie Irving can galvanize the forces and show resistance as a challenging schedule awaits the team.
Do you think Irving can manage to keep the Dallas Mavericks afloat amidst such injuries? Let us know your views in the comments below.
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