According to many people, the Dallas Mavericks seem to be “paying for their karma” after sending veteran Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Anthony Davis was injured in his Mavericks debut, adding to the team’s injury list. Most recently, Kyrie Irving tore his knee ligaments, officially saying goodbye to the 2024/25 season with no return date set.
It can be said that the 2024/25 season of the Dallas Mavericks has completely collapsed. This is a pity for the team that is the runner-up of the NBA, but it could also be a predicted risk after losing Luka Doncic.
For Nico Harrison, the reason he decided to trade Luka Doncic was to improve the team’s defense and aim for a championship in the near future. However, the latest developments show that this plan has failed. Injuries are something that no one can predict, but Nico Harrison’s decisions have put players at greater risk of injury, including the recent case of Kyrie Irving himself.
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Why do you think Nico Harrison’s decision led to Kyrie Irving’s injury?
After the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, Nico Harrison showed his determination to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a championship, but also unintentionally put pressure on the remaining players in the lineup.
The burden of the ball-holding role suddenly fell on Kyrie Irving’s shoulders. Previously, he had Luka Doncic to rotate the ball, but now Kyrie Irving has to take care of all the Dallas Mavericks’ offensive situations. Not to mention, reserve guard Quentin Grimes was also traded to the Philadelphia 76ers a few days after the Luka Doncic deal to get Caleb Martin. While Quentin Grimes had just scored 44 points for the 76ers in early March, Caleb Martins had not even played a single minute for the Mavericks.
In that context, coach Jason Kidd was forced to use Kyrie Irving as much as possible. According to Cleaning the Glass, Kyrie Irving’s dependence was also shown by the Mavericks averaging 4.2 points per 100 possessions when Kyrie Irving was on the court. With the Dallas Mavericks in the middle of the Western Conference standings, they were forced to win as much as possible to maintain their ticket to the Playoffs.
Playing more and under more pressure can easily lead to injury, and Kyrie Irving is just a victim of Nico Harrison’s decisions in the transfer market. With a torn knee ligament, Kyrie Irving will be out for a very long time, and will most likely miss the early stages of the 2025/26 season.
Nico Harrison’s decisions will still need to be reviewed, at least until the end of the 2025/26 season. This season, he made too many mistakes that cost the Dallas Mavericks the chance to win the championship.
