Will Dallas Mavericks star SG Luka Dončić and eight-time All-Star PG Kyrie Irving be the best backcourt in the NBA this season?
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00:00 (dramatic music)
00:02 - Hey everyone, it's Maria Turner.
00:06 I'm here with Brittany Bowen
00:07 and we are at the American Airlines Center.
00:10 The Dallas Mavericks are hosting Media Day.
00:12 We've seen a lot.
00:14 We got some young players, our new draft picks.
00:16 We have our veterans.
00:18 Brittany, what have you seen so far
00:19 going on in the off season to now?
00:22 - So I think we've seen a lot from the rookies.
00:25 I think that they've really stepped up,
00:26 especially Jaden Hardy.
00:28 Obviously we went to NBA Summer League.
00:29 We got to see him play in Vegas.
00:31 That was super exciting.
00:33 I think from what we're gonna see from last year,
00:35 this year, obviously the Mavs never had any issues
00:37 on offense with Luka and Kyrie.
00:40 They also had eight players that could score three pointers.
00:43 I mean, 38% or more.
00:44 So offense was really, you know,
00:46 offensive efficiency was never the issue.
00:47 It was more defense and more importantly, in the paint.
00:51 So the players, you know, had trouble boxing out.
00:54 We kind of needed a big man.
00:55 We did resign Dwight Powell, you know, three years.
00:59 I don't know, you know, if he's gonna be the guy
01:01 that we're gonna go to,
01:02 or if we're gonna take the new draft pick,
01:03 if he's gonna start, you know, lively.
01:05 I think he might be good for the Mavs,
01:08 but at the same time, he's also a rookie, you know,
01:11 coming out of Duke only playing 20 minutes a game.
01:13 I don't know if they're gonna have him play the entire game.
01:16 It's really just gonna come down to, I think, defense
01:19 and who's gonna be better at rebounding.
01:21 - Well, it's funny you mentioned, you know,
01:23 we saw these players here at NBA Summer League.
01:26 Well, not here, but at NBA Summer League.
01:28 And they were dynamite.
01:29 They have, I feel like they are gonna bring a new spark
01:32 to the team to really kind of rejuvenate that offense
01:36 and really bring in a fresh new start to defense as well,
01:39 because we saw a lot of that.
01:40 And I just think it's gonna be a really fresh start,
01:43 something that they needed with these new draft picks.
01:45 - Yeah, I think you're right on that.
01:46 I think towards the end of last season,
01:48 we could really see the players, you know,
01:49 get down on themselves.
01:50 They weren't winning as many games.
01:52 And I think that really took a toll on them
01:54 at the end of the season.
01:55 I think now with some new faces, as far as rookies,
01:57 you know, we have Seth Curry back.
01:59 I think that we're gonna see a way different team.
02:02 I mean, the roster is completely different
02:04 than what we saw last season.
02:05 Luka and Kyrie are gonna have way more time
02:08 to play together this off season.
02:10 They had zero time to play together last season
02:13 because Kyrie came in very rushed.
02:16 And they had, you know, they lacked chemistry for sure
02:19 when it came to playing with each other.
02:20 They're both significant ball handlers.
02:22 They're both great shooters.
02:23 I think they have to feel each other out more.
02:26 Who's gonna take this last, you know, one second shot?
02:29 Is it gonna be him?
02:30 Is it gonna be Luka?
02:31 Is it gonna be Kyrie?
02:32 And I think they have an entire off season now
02:34 to really build chemistry between the two of them.
02:37 And I think we'll see a lot of that this season.
02:39 - I agree. I agree.
02:40 I have no doubt about it.
02:42 I think that they've spent time to really,
02:45 not only get to know each other, you know,
02:47 off the court, but, and on the court,
02:49 and just build that offensive chemistry
02:51 that you were talking about.
02:52 And I think it's gonna be a 180
02:54 from what we were seeing the last,
02:56 like two months of the season.
02:58 I think it's gonna be just completely different.
03:00 - I love that.
03:01 So the Babs are gonna head out of the country.
03:03 They have some preseason games
03:05 and they'll be back here at the end of October
03:08 to host the Detroit Pistons.
03:10 Stay tuned to the season coming up.
03:12 Make sure to watch us on Spectrum Cable Channel 15
03:15 on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
03:16 I'm Brittany Bowen, and this is Marea Turner,
03:18 and you've just been Credentialed.
03:20 (whooshing)
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