Dallas Mavericks' training camp is not set to begin until early October. Still, Mavs fans are surely wondering if Kyrie Irving will be fully cleared to participate in training camp after his previous offseason injury concern. Irving underwent surgery to repair a broken left hand in July. Kyrie suffered the injury during offseason training. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Irving is expected to be ready for training camp.
“At this point, he has not been cleared yet for full five-on-five hoop,” Stein said on the DLLS Mavs Podcast, via Kevin Gray Jr. “But based on what I've been told… he remains on course to be cleared in time for training camp. So I don't think there's any concern there.”
Irving enjoyed a strong 2023-24 season. He averaged 25.6 points per game on 49.7 percent field goal and 41.1 percent three-point shooting. Irving added 5.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.
The addition of Klay Thompson should only help Irving. Thompson will improve the Mavs' floor-spacing which could lead to more scoring opportunities for Kyrie. As long as injuries do not prove to be problematic in 2024-25, Irving may be on the verge of a huge season in Dallas.
Kyrie Irving looking to bounce back after challenging NBA Finals
Irving played well in the regular season and playoffs. In the NBA Finals, though, Irving did not perform up to his lofty expectations. Kyrie put the situation in perspective following the Mavs' NBA Finals defeat.
“Basketball is a game of centimeters, man, sometimes inches, so when a ball is flying off your hands, sometimes it's going to feel good, sometimes it isn't,” Irving said in June following the Mavs' loss in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. “That's the maturity aspect. You got to move on to the next thing… Whether I'm playing well specifically scoring-wise or I'm not, there is a team aspect here that we're becoming more gelled into or dialed into.
“I can score 25 points, but if I don't, we got to be able to pick each other up, and I think that's what we're learning about each other now, where they're going to be games where the shooting is not going to go well particularly for me or someone else on the team.”
Kyrie Irving wants the Mavericks to take a step forward during the offseason. His injury has surely limited his training. Still, Kyrie will have time to prepare for the 2024-25 regular season once he is cleared, which is why Stein's update is so encouraging.
“And that's where we have to galvanize as a group and other players make plays and opportunities created for one another,” Irving continued while speaking in June. “I've been at the point of attack through most of my drives going against the Celtics one-on-one or coming off screens. So that's what the summer is for, is just continuing to work on those things that I saw this year, the physicality, being able to adjust to it and by next year be in a better position.”
Kyrie's 2024-25 outlook
Kyrie Irving's first half-season in Dallas, which came in 2022-23 after the trade deadline, did not go according to plan. Kyrie played well but Dallas missed the postseason. Irving's individual performance was impressive, but it was clear that he was still learning to play alongside Luka Doncic. The same can be said for Doncic as well.
The Mavs' star-studded duo figured it out in 2023-24. Dallas ultimately reached the NBA Finals as a result. Of course, Irving and Doncic had help from role players on the roster. The Mavs' offseason has seen the team improve, as Dallas features a strong core of players around the superstars.
The Mavericks are in a great position to compete at a high level once again, but what can fans expect from Irving?
Kyrie is more than capable of playing a crucial role for a great team. As aforementioned, the addition of Thompson should only help Kyrie's performance. There is a chance that Irving will record even better numbers than his 2023-24 campaign.
Much of Irving's success will come down to health and availability. Kyrie has not played in 65 or more games since the 2018-19 season, which also happened to be his final year in Boston. If Irving is able to stay on the floor, there is reason to believe that 2024-25 may be one of the best seasons of his career.
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