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

How will Doncic and Irving fit defensively?

While I have large amounts of faith in their pairing on offense, there are certainly legitimate worries about this duo on defense. Neither Irving nor Doncic is a plus defender, and together, it is hard to see the Mavericks as a team capable of slowing down opposing offenses. The Mavericks ranked 24th in defensive rating before trading for Irving, and unless more trades are made before Thursday, I can’t imagine that ranking will significantly improve.

Not only did they bring in Irving, who is a below-average defender, but they also traded away their best and most versatile defender Dorian Finney Smith (DFS). DFS had become a mainstay on the Mavericks’ roster, frequently receiving big defensive assignments, especially during the playoffs. These duties will now most likely be assigned to veteran Reggie Bullock or third-year guard Josh Green.

This is obviously a downgrade, and it is fair to question if the Mavericks’ defense will be good enough to support them through a playoff run. The Mavericks’ new “big 3” of Doncic, Irving, and Christian Wood are all unfortunately negative defenders, and I have my doubts that all three could even play in the playoffs together without making massive concessions defensively.

Defensive Grade: -D

There is no way to tell as of now if the offensive upside will be enough to trump the defensive issues, but as the season progresses it will be extremely interesting to watch how the Mavericks’ new star duo performs.

With Irving’s free agency still looming this summer, pressure is on for the Mavericks to show Irving, and even Doncic, that the current Dallas core has a chance at winning an NBA championship.