Grading Irving and Doncic’s on-court fit for the Mavericks

How will Doncic and Irving fit offensively?

Obviously, the offensive upside that Irving brings was a driving factor in the Mavericks choosing to trade for him. This season, Irving is averaging 27 points per game and has displayed his usual level of scoring brilliance. Irving is the definition of a 3-point scorer, and his shooting efficiency this season has proven that once again. Irving is undeniably able to create his own offense as easily as anyone else in the NBA, but will he be able to do so next to Doncic? I believe he will. In fact, I think his offensive pairing with Doncic is almost perfect.

Irving thrived early in his career next to a ball-dominant LeBron James. In fact, many would argue that Irving is at his best when used as a secondary creator, unburdened with the task of running the entire offense. However, even with this being said, Irving is beyond capable of initiating offense for himself or his teammates, which should be a huge relief for Doncic, who is currently the only Maverick truly capable of this. Irving is, of course, also an elite shooter, which allows him to thrive as an off-ball scorer. Jalen Brunson was able to serve as a suitable wingman for Doncic in last year’s playoff run, and I believe that Kyrie can bring many of the same qualities at an even higher level.

Doncic, on the other hand, will be Irving’s teammate with the highest usage rating in his career. Doncic currently has a usage rating of just under 38%; for context, James Harden earned a usage rating of about 36% in his MVP season. This means that Irving will likely have to concede some touches to Doncic; however, I believe that in an ideal world, the addition of Irving will significantly lighten Doncic’s load and allow his usage rate to fall slightly. As long as the two stars can avoid stepping on each other’s toes, I believe that they can easily be one of the best offensive duos in the entire league.

Offensive Fit Grade: A