The Brooklyn Nets were looking like a roster worthy of winning the championship. It seemed both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were finally playing to their full potential. However, just when it all looked to be going up, a major rock fell. KAI couldn?t get his extension from the franchise. The eight-time All-Star requested a trade. Only two days, he is now with Luka Doncic. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett discussed his move to the Dallas Mavericks. Notably, The Truth feels the duo is championship-worthy, but there is a huge risk.
In recent history, Irving?s reputation has been tied to controversies. Notably, he left both his organizations before Brooklyn despite a vow to resign. In addition, his Nets tenure was dramatic and stressful. In the face of it all, somewhere the true value of KAI goes into the shadow. The 29-year-old is a creative scorer who can dictate the game at his pace.
However, bringing in Kyrie Irving means inviting a lot of his antics. Many analysts have raised exactly those concerns with his recent shift to Dallas. And Pierce feels the same way too.
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Will Kyrie Irving live up to his commitments with Luka Doncic?
During a recent episode of Ticket and the Truth, KAI?s destination change took center stage. Former NBA champion Paul Pierce said he loves the talent KAI possesses. However, a major drawback with him is his pattern to leave at the peak. We saw similar behavior when he left LeBron James at a time Cleveland was making the NBA finals year after year. His move to the Garnett and Pierce?s Celtics got KAI his ideal scenario. However, after several locker room disputes, he left yet again with a promise to resign. Now with the Mavs, the Truth feels they have to accept the risk to reap the reward of Irving.
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While on Ticket & the Truth, Paul Pierce said, ?You don’t understand this, I love Kyrie and his game and his impact on the game. But everywhere he’s gone, you know, he left them again. So is this like short term or this is going to be a long-term fix for Dallas? I like it on paper. When you get two superstars like that, anything can happen. Their IQ is so great they going to figure it out. They going to be fun to watch. It’s high risk-high reward.”
So far, Irving seems to be loving basketball in Dallas. The new Mavericks superstar is averaging just under 25 points a night in his two games. Even without Doncic, they have stayed undefeated. It all might boil down to respect for KAI. With Brooklyn, his contract would be bound by a championship, something that could be considered unfair. In addition, Irving also mentioned being disrespected repeatedly by the front office. As far as the former number one overall pick isn?t put down, Doncic and the Mavericks probably won?t have many worries. However, KAI also needs to live true to his responsibility of showing up consistently and accept any punishment that comes with it.
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Do you think this partnership will last long term? Let us know your views in the comments below.