Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes the Kyrie Irving- Luka Doncic pairing will work as long as each player's role is clearly understood. Cuban said on NBA Radio that Irving knows that the Mavs are Doncic's team, and that's a positive sign for the Mavs' future.

“I think Kyrie is mature to the point now where he knows it’s Luka’s team,” Mark Cuban said. “He knows, and that’s what’s important, and he’s willing to play more of a shooting guard role. When Luka is out, we have a point guard who can score and create for other guys. They’re both players who make their teammates better, and we didn’t have that before.”

“Once Luka went out we struggled, we struggled mightily, and we put a lot of pressure on Luka. We did struggle defensively after the trade but that was for a lot of reasons. It wasn’t Luka or Kyrie, but offensively you know we had one of the top lineups, we were the top two or three in the NBA.”

The Mavs' season fell apart after the team traded for Irving. However, the team still decided to stick with the superstar guard pairing. They signed Irving to a 3-year, $126 million contract this summer.

Some see that signing as a mistake. Others see it as a calculated risk. Most likely, Dallas probably didn't have a choice. Irving is exceptionally talented, and even though he does come with baggage, he ultimately raises the Mavs' ceiling.

The front office has to do anything possible to keep Doncic happy. Putting other elite talent on the floor with him is paramount. The Mavs probably overpaid for Irving, but they couldn't really afford to let him walk away.

Irving's production is not in question. Last season with the Mavs, the point guard averaged 27 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists on just a touch below the elusive 50/40/90 shooting clip.

The fit between Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, from a basketball standpoint, isn't completely perfect. Ideally, the Mavs would want to pair Doncic with a superstar wing player who can defend at a high level and score without needing the ball in his hands as much as Irving. Players like that are rarely available however, and the clock is ticking for the Mavs to attain some playoff success with Doncic still under contract.