Number Crunching: Mavs’ Kyrie Irving Underrated Defender?
For all the clutch shots, miraculous layups, and jaw-dropping crossovers, one aspect of Kyrie Irving gets overlooked: his defense.
Understandably, fans look at highlights on offense rather than defense. However, there are instances, including last season, indicating Irving is a better defender for which people give credit. The Mavs' 2024 NBA Finals run wouldn't have occurred without Irving's persistent efforts on both sides of the ball.
Before talking about the 2024 playoffs, though, retracing history implies Irving had defensive potential.
The 2015 NBA Finals could have gone down as an all-time classic. However, Irving suffered a fractured kneecap in Game 1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors matchup. Irving played elite basketball in the one game he played during the 2015 NBA Finals. However, his significant play leaned on one side of the ball.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) tries to controls the ball as Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) defends during the second half during game three of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Irving stole the ball four times and rejected two shots. The point guard known for his layups and crossovers revealed his defensive potential on the grandest stage.
Fast-forward nine seasons, and Irving still has the defensive potential showcased in spots. Playing intense basketball on both ends of the court doesn't last into the playoffs, which is why many NBA stars pick their spots to go all-out on offense and defense.
The playoffs, though, are where you leave it all out on the court, and for the most part, Irving did that in the 2024 NBA playoffs.
According to Synergy Sports, Irving produced an efficient defensive outing during the Mavericks' 2024 NBA Finals run.
One sequence in which Irving excelled during the playoffs came when opposing offenses put Irving on an island. Irving succeeded at an "excellent" rate when guarding isolation plays. The Mavs guard held his opponents to an impressive 20 effective field goal percentage. Aside from shooting percentages, Irving's knack for picking pockets also revealed itself in isolation sequences.
21.9 percent of the isolation plays opposing defenses put Irving in during the 2024 playoffs ended with him stealing the ball or causing a turnover.
The Mavs front office built a formidable roster to defend its Western Conference title. Can Irving repeat his defensive efforts during the 2024-25 regular season, or will he explode opposing offenses in a likely postseason appearance?
Although not an elite defender by regular-season standards, Irving is capable of maintaining a valiant defensive effort in high-stakes basketball contests. The next time someone tries to say the Mavericks have one of the worst defensive backcourts use these numbers as a "well, actually" retort.
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