Unfortunately, the other half of that predictable equation is that the Mavs, who already owned a bottom-seven defense before trading their best defensive player (Dorian Finney-Smith) to acquire Irving, haven't been able to stop anybody.ĭallas' continued inability to capitalize on a potent offense and its lack of depth (it turned two players into one in trading Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie for Irving) have resulted in the Mavs going 5-6 with Irving in the lineup, and a disappointing 3-6 in games that both Irving and Luka Doncic have suited up for. With Irving on the court, Dallas has scored 123.9 points per 100 possessions - a stunning figure that would smash Sacramento's current bid for the most efficient offense of all time (118.6). ![]() Individually, he's been offensively brilliant, averaging 27.5 points and 6.6 assists while shooting 58.1% from two-point range, 41.4% from deep, and 94.4% from the free-throw line. In many ways, Irving's first month in Dallas was predictable. Joe Wolfond Kyrie Irving | Mavericks Tom Pennington / NBA / Getty Images With Durant on the floor, they can afford to be more liberal in doing so, though securing defensive boards could still prove to be an issue because Durant’s still a subpar rebounder for his size. But before Durant’s arrival, having Ayton high up on the floor meant the Suns were vulnerable around the basket. Phoenix doesn't mind bringing Ayton up to the level or having him switch out onto ball-handlers (he frequently late-switches out of drop coverage), and he's plenty capable of defending in space. He offers secondary rim protection the Suns didn’t have behind Ayton before, with the likes of Cam Johnson and Torrey Craig manning the four. The Suns also looked elite defensively with Durant on the floor. You saw in those games how Durant's defense-warping presence unlocked things for Booker in particular, with the star guard scoring 66 points on 75% true shooting in the 67 minutes the two played together. ![]() In more simplistic actions, he can simply set up on the wing opposite Booker or Paul, occupying the potential nail helper and allowing his teammate to glide into the paint unimpeded off a high ball screen. Horns sets can similarly feature Durant acting as either ball-handler or elbow screener, with the Suns able to spin off into near-infinite permutations involving him and any two of Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton. Phoenix's beloved Spain pick-and-rolls can use Durant in any of the three roles - ball-handler, primary screener, or secondary back-screener and popper. The Suns love to run three-man actions and to utilize both sides of the floor, which makes them ideally suited to incorporating and maximizing Durant - a chameleonic star who's equally deadly with and without the ball. Across those three games (all wins), he averaged 27 points on 81% true shooting, and the Suns posted a cartoonish 130.3 offensive rating with him on the floor - and a 137 rating when he shared the court with Devin Booker, per Cleaning the Glass. ![]() ![]() Still, despite the limited sample and the fact Durant will likely have played fewer than 10 games as a Sun before the postseason begins, the ease with which he immediately gelled with his new surroundings suggests Phoenix needs to be taken very seriously as a contender once he's healthy.
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