Dallas Mavericks Considering Shutting Down Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving in Bid to Somehow Lose More Often

The Dallas Mavericks are 8-15 since Kyrie Irving joined the team in February, but things haven't actually been going as well as that record might suggest. They have dropped three straight games and seven of their last eight and slipped out of the Play-In Tournament. That's why the Mavericks are considering shutting down Irving and Luka Doncic in hopes of holding onto their top 10 protected first round pick in this year's NBA Draft.

You're laughing? The Mavericks gave up an unprotected first round pick so they could miss the playoffs and watch Kyrie Irving walk in free agency and you're laughing?

This really has been an incredible thing to follow. The thinking behind this trade was that Dallas would just score 120 points a game and if teams wanted to beat them, they'd just have to score more. Good luck!

Well, challenge accepted. The Mavericks are putting up big numbers, averaging 117.7 points per game since Irving arrived. That's a top five offense. Of course, they're also giving up 117.9 points per game over that same span which is a bottom seven defense.

Considering recent results, it's hard to imagine sitting Kyrie and Luka going worse for the Mavericks. Or better. Hell, they'd probably win at least one game, which would be a fun change for the team.