Winners of nine of their last 10 games, the are among the hottest teams in the league. The Mavs blew the door off the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night, winning by a final score of 132-96. Following the game, called himself the Robin to 's Batman. “He’s the Batman, I’m the Robin. Outside
basketball he’s just a great person and we all get along so well. The chemistry is really good right now.” Is Dončić Really Taking a Back Seat to Irving? Dončić is averaging 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.1 rebounds per game on the season and is considerably younger than Irving, so conventional wisdom suggests that he's currently the better player. However, Irving has been in the
NBA seven seasons longer than the Slovenian native, as he has a championship and several deep playoff runs to show for his success on the court, which the Mavs will need to lean on heavily in this year's playoffs. Dončić tends to get most of his points near the rim while utilizing his big frame and ball fakes. Irving, meanwhile, relies on his ability to create his own shot off the dribble, especially in the midrange, but has also demonstrated proficiency in scoring at the rim thanks to his filthy crossover, ambidextrous abiliti and hang time. Luka Dončić & Kyrie Irving - 2023-24 Stats by Shot Type Shot type Luka Dončić Kyrie Irving Pull-up Jump Shot 110-245 49-129 Step Back Jump Shot 20-42 197-475 Layup 126-207 202-273 Assisted 227 156 Unassisted 255 571 As these numbers suggest, Irving is the far better off ball scorer and pull-up jump shooter than Dončić. Defenses tighten up during the postseason due to a slower pace of play. As a result, Dončić will likely see more double teams and face tougher coverage overall, since playoff teams are often equipped with strong perimeter defenders and rim protectors. Simply put, it's going to be tougher for Dončić to draw fouls, finish at the rim, and convert step back jumpers at a high rate. This is where the Mavs are going to need Irving to step up as the primary scorer. Throughout his career, Uncle Drew has proven he can remain engaged as an offball threat given his ability to move without the basketball in his hands, hit the catch and shoot 3-pointer, and cut to the rim. Possessing an elite mid-range jumper off the dribble is also crucial during playoff time since defenses will be stretch out to the three-point line. WIth Irving's handles and dribbling ability, he'll be able to get off a shot over anyone. : Luka Dončić leads the NBA in points per game (32.5) in the month of March. Dončić is still the Mavs' lead orchestrator and will be tasked to provide high scoring numbers, but he may need to be content with deferring to Irving as the main shot creator during the playoffs if they hope to earn a championship this year. With Dončić calling Irving the Batman in this dynamic, it already seems like he's ready to do just that.