Irving s performance rating this season: Irving, the leader of the Mavericks, deserves a better ending

Irving is the Mavericks Warrior, and his season-reimbursed injury is undoubtedly a huge blow.

Kyrie Irving arrived in Dallas in 2023, when the team was at a crossroads. After the era of former coach Luca Doncic began, years of mismanagement led to a lack of talent in the team, and eventually ranked 11th in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs. Irving's deal was a big bet, and the team was willing to take that risk, as the team had few other options to complement Doncic's All-Star player after Jaylen Brunson left New York as a free agent the previous summer. Since then, Irving has lived up to expectations and performed stably, as people have expected. Last year, he led Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks to the Finals and continued his exciting performances into the 2024-2025 season. Despite his outstanding performance, Irving once again found himself at a crossroads team, but the situation was much bleaker than it was in 2023, as Doncic has now been traded to the Lakers, and Irving suffered a severe ACL tear in March.

Season Review

Since coming to the Dallas Mavericks, Irving has been very efficient, and last season is no exception. Irving was in a hot form early in the season (in October and November, he shot more than 50% of his 3-point shooting percentage) and maintained that form throughout the season. He once again handed in impressive scoring statistics, averaging 24.7 points, and also had 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Prior to the trade, he shot 50/40/90 from the field and at the end of the season he still shot very well, reaching 47.4%, 39.4% from three and 88.8% from free throws.

Irving has scored two career-high true shooting percentages (60.8% in 2024, 59.4% in 2025). He would have had higher numbers last season if it weren't for a deal, and as you can see, Irving's stats were slightly down as the Mavericks put too much responsibility on the shoulders of the 33-year-old. With Doncic's departure and Anthony Davis' injury, Irving was sometimes actually the only capable ball handler and scorer on the team's roster most nights, and as the Mavericks' injuries continued to increase, the team was forced to use a seven-to-eight-player rotation. Irving averaged nearly 40 minutes per game in February.

Whether you are willing to believe that Irving's worsening injury has anything to do with the next game, he ended his season early after a disastrous knee injury and a torn ACL against the Kings on March 3. After Irving was injured, the Mavericks staggered to the finish line, losing a missed playoff playoff against Memphis away.

Best Game

Although Irving lost the game, his best performance was in the away game against the Nuggets on November 11, where he scored 43 points with just 22 shots, including an astonishing 17 shots, including a three-pointer with 6 of 8 shots.

The shooting efficiency shown in this game is enough to make Dirk Nowitzki proud. No matter how tight the Nuggets' defense is, Irving will never miss the shot. That night Irving was the icing on the cake - he made all kinds of exquisite layups, three-pointers and a smooth mid-range two-pointer. This game fully demonstrates Irving's style, and it is a pity that the Mavericks failed to secure the victory. With 22 shots, the shooting rate exceeds 77%, which is incredible.

Contract Status

Irving has a player option next season, worth just under $44 million. Before being injured, it was generally expected that Irving would choose to jump out of the contract and sign a long-term contract. While the injury did make NBA insiders concerned whether this idea has changed, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said in public that he expects Irving to play for the team for a long time. Irving is expected to choose to jump out of the contract and re-sign a multi-year contract, especially when the Mavericks have gone all out to sign the Irving/Davis duo.

Looking forward

Unfortunately, the history of a small guard who has suffered severe lower limb injuries after the age of 30 is not optimistic. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray suffered a torn ACL when he was in his early 20s, and it took him two years to recover. Irving's future is full of uncertainty, and although he must go through a rigorous recovery process, we simply don't know when he will be able to recover.

This is not a contempt for Irving, but a reality. It has been reported that the Mavericks hope Irving will make a comeback in January next season, but most injury experts think it's a bit too optimistic and he's more likely to make a comeback after the All-Star game next season. What's worse is that even if Irving returns next season, we may have to wait until some time after his comeback to see his wonderful performance that we are used to. This is the essence of this injury.

Of course, Irving's comeback may be faster than we thought, and may even be closer to his previous level. Who knows, but this does cast a shadow on the Mavericks next season.

Rating: A

You really can't ask for more from Irving anymore. He perfectly acted as Doncic's substitute, and he took on the team's heavy responsibility after the trade and during the team's various injuries. Irving is also a model teammate in Dallas, and the controversy surrounding him seems to have subsided.

What a pity. Before the season changed drastically, Irving was originally in the ranks of the best team. I hope he can recover as soon as possible, after all, the Mavericks don’t have the time as they used to.