Kyrie Irving spoke fondly when discussing one of the new signings for the Dallas Mavericks and their impact on the team.
Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks secured a monumental win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite the absence of Luka Doncic, the Mavs were great, with Irving leading the charge. Irving scored 23 points in the win, along with 1 rebound and 6 assists.
It was a great team performance from the Mavericks, with P.J. Washington shining most in the win. The former Hornets big man exploited the small-ball Thunder lineup. Scoring 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 2 assists, it was a monster game from Washington.
The Mavericks needed to get a big win to turn their season around. And without Doncic on the court, they defeated one of the best teams in the NBA. But Irving had praise for one unsung Mavericks hero who came off the bench.
Kyrie Irving shouts out Naji Marshall
Naji Marshall had a phenomenal performance coming off the bench. Playing 27 minutes, Marshall scored 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. He shot the ball well, making 4-6 of his shots from the field.
His performance caught the eye of Kyrie Irving. Speaking in his post-game press conference, Irving joked he enjoys being teammates with Marshall far more than playing against him.
“I like being his teammate better than being an opponent. He’ll just be hounding and attacking everything.
“He does a great job of playing close to our defensive game plan.
“And he tries his best to create opportunities for us on the offensive end. He is the knife and he does a lot for us in terms of creating opportunities for us that we probably wouldn’t have…”
Marshall has earned the respect of his teammates quite quickly into his tenure with the Mavericks. And while he has taken some time to get going, he seems to have put things together.
Contrast in fortunes for new Mavericks stars
While Naji Marshall had a decent game for the Mavericks, fellow newcomer Klay Thompson couldn’t say the same. Despite the Mavericks’ decent three-point shooting, Thomspon was poor tonight. He scored just 5 points, going 1-11 from the field and 1-8 from beyond the arc.
Head coach Jason Kidd spoke after the game about Thompson’s performance. Even though Thompson didn’t have it going tonight, Kidd was happy with the example he set for the rest of the team.
“No, I love that he was cheering for his guys. That’s just a pro,” Kidd said. “When you’re not making shots, you don’t have to be selfish, I think he’s one of the most unselfish pros.”
“He’s also teaching the younger guys that some nights you might not have it,” He added. “But you can do some other things to help.”
Thompson has been disappointing so far this season season, averaging 13.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. While Thompson is one of the best shooters of all time, he hasn’t shown that this season, shooting 39.7% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc.
Luckily, it is still early in the season, and Thompson can turn things around. But he will have to make some changes, whatever they may be, to help recover his form.
