Stephen A. Smith DEMOTES Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic from his All-Time Top 5 backcourt duo list

Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic need to play better if the Dallas Mavericks are to win an NBA title.

Stephen A. Smith DEMOTES Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic from his All-Time Top 5 backcourt duo list

Stephen A. Smith demotes Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic from his All-Time Top 5 backcourt duo list

Before the NBA Finals, many across the league felt they were heralding in an era of one of the best backcourt duos in basketball history. The overlapping but incredibly effective combination of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led the Dallas Mavericks from a play-in spot, all the way to get another shot at the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

But four disappointing games helped the Boston Celtics romp their way to title No. 18, Stephen A. Smith has changed his All-Time backcourt duo list. Speaking on First Take, host Molly Qerim asked her co-host if the Dallas Mavericks duo are still a part of his All-Time Top 5 backcourt duo list. 

I had Luka and Kyrie at No. 4. I'm gonna have to change that now. They weren't able to close the deal.
Stephen A. Smith replied

Smith mentioned that had they won the NBA title, they could have stayed on his list. However, the duos deficiencies combined to deny their team to win their second ever NBA title.

FS Video

Kyrie Irving struggled through the three games held in Boston. His woeful shooting put pressure on the team, and even though games 2 and 3 were closer than the others, they still lost. Add to that Luka Doncic’s deficiencies in defense and helping his teammates score.

Therefore, together they disappointed in their quest of living up to the stature Stephen A. Smith had given them. More importantly, the way they lost brought more question marks. Next season they will get another chance, but they will have to make changes to their roster as well as their game.

Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic need help

The Dallas Mavericks did overcome some of the top teams in the West on their way to the NBA Finals. However, this series against the Boston Celtics showed their deficiencies as a team. The franchise will have to address those deficiencies before the next season starts.

Priority No. 1 on that list will be to bring in another player who can create his own shot. If it is a big man, it will help them tremendously. The Celtics controlled the perimeter, which helped them set the tone of the game. With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving pinned to the outside, their big men could not have the same impact as they did for much of this year.

One aspect that could help is if rookie Derek Lively II and PJ Washington can develop their offensive game. That will help them be a bigger threat than just dunking lobs or shooting threes from the corner. Then the Dallas Mavericks will be difficult to beat.

In case you missed: