DALLAS — As teammates on the court, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are now 0-3, having registered losses to Sacramento, Minnesota and Team Giannis. The latter isn’t so relevant other than the chasm between Irving’s 32-point All-Star performance and Luka’s 4-point night being curious.
I have said before that I expect them to make some beautiful music together and I expect it to be short-lived, mostly but not entirely due to Irving’s struggle to find happiness with any particular franchise. If it happens at all, it’s likely to be this year when opponents have not yet sized up their options for defending two elite point guards. The Mavericks’ winning should begin Thursday when they return from the All-Star break to face San Antonio.
With 22 games to play, the date with the Spurs is one of five Dallas has against the Bottom Five teams (San Antonio, Houston, Charlotte, Orlando, Detroit). Studies of the NBA schedule are an imperfect science, especially given that the Mavs lost to the Pistons, Magic and Rockets earlier. Still, if we assume health for Dallas’ Big Two, those five games against teams mostly jockeying for draft position could be a major determinant in the final postseason seeding.
