The 2022-23 NBA season has been everything that the Dallas Mavericks weren’t hoping for. The team is placed 11th on the Western Conference league table and they are on the brink of elimination from the playoff race. Although the Mavs secured a win in their last game against the Sacramento Kings, their performance this season has been underwhelming at best.

Despite having superstars like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on their side, the team has failed to perform up to their own caliber. This has left the fans and players dejected. A few days ago Doncic made a heartbreaking admission regarding the hopes of the team earlier this season. Now the Mavs star has made a strong confession about Kyrie Irving and his importance in the team.

Luka Doncic makes a strong confession about teammate Kyrie Irving

In a season full of disappointments, there have been several weak aspects of the game for the Mavericks. However, the one thing that the Mavs are most criticized for is their poor defensive game. The team lost 13 of their games where they managed a comfortable double-digit lead. This inability of their defense to protect a match-winning lead has led the Mavs to this situation in the league. Notably, the team has long battled with their poor defense and to tackle this very aspect, they acquired Kyrie Irving.

A world-class player like Irving was expected to be the difference maker, but it couldn’t become a reality. However, Doncic isn’t one to put blame on his teammate, as he recently confessed that Irving “showed up” when they needed. Doncic said Irving is amazing to watch and that he lived up to his reputation. He added, “The caliber the player that Kyrie is, it’s insane, the plays he made were insane, especially down the stretch, some of them really tough shots.”

Last Saturday, the Mavs lost to Miami Heat, even after a phenomenal performance from Doncic. After the game, a disappointed Doncic let out his thoughts, which were heartbreaking for the fans.

“It’s every time, the same problem,” Luka Doncic’s emotional confession on the state of Mavericks

The poor defense has haunted the Mavs this entire season. The team, after constantly putting up a good lead in the game, ended up being the losing side.

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Doncic, who is an MVP-level baller, continues to struggle with his defense. He dropped 42 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists against the Heat but still ended up falling short of the victory. Doncic said after the game, “It?s every time the same problem, the offense is fine. But if we give up 130 points in four quarters, that?s hard to win.”

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The Mavs need to make some big changes to their style of play before they gear up for the next challenge. As fans, we hope that the changes will start bringing good results as early as possible.