NBA Rumors: The Dallas Mavericks Set Their Sights on Herb Jones

This season, the Dallas Mavericks have been able to keep winning without their perennial MVP candidate in the lineup. Even after two consecutive road losses, the Mavs hold a 7-4 record without Luka Doncic. Five of those seven wins have come against teams with winning records, meaning above 50% victories.

"That number really doesn’t matter to me," said Kyrie Irving. "I would rather go into battle with a healthy team, everyone feeling well, everyone feeling good. But it's just the nature of the business. You have to be ready."

In addition to performing at a staggering level on the court, Irving is also one of the leaders in the Mavericks locker room. Last Saturday, Dallas was trailing by 28 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. Without the injured Doncic and Dereck Lively II, and the suspended PJ Washington and Naji Marshall, it would have been easy for Jason Kidd's guys to give up on the second night of a back-to-back.

However, Irving wouldn't allow it. He scored 20 of his 46 points in the final quarter. His last shot of the game, a tough fadeaway from the baseline, cut Portland's lead to six with 2:25 remaining. Irving's late surge made the game competitive, although Dallas couldn't complete the comeback. "The fourth-quarter guy," said teammate Quentin Grimes. "That's what he does. It's truly amazing to see him."

Irving mentioned that losing in the 2024 finals against his former team, the Boston Celtics, gave him "added motivation" to start this season strong. Irving has missed only four games so far.

The Mavericks know they need to find a balance between allowing Irving to lead the team's offense and not overworking him. Dallas needs the 32-year-old player to be fresh for what they hope will be a deep playoff run in the spring.

"The big picture is always in focus," said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. "Just understanding playing Kyrie over 40 minutes, that puts us in a different situation, understanding we have to rely on our leader here to help us. But that doesn't mean running his minutes up to 40-42 per game."

The Mavericks scored 37 points in the first quarter on Monday against the Sacramento Kings, but their offense faded in the last three quarters in a 110-100 loss. They lost control of the game in the last quarter. They lost control of the game in the third quarter, committing six turnovers in a stretch lasting less than five minutes. "They pressured the ball," said Washington. "We started turning the ball over. Obviously, with 17 turnovers, it's hard to win in this league."

The Mavericks play 16 games in January. Dončić might miss them all: "Everyone has to come and work," said Washington. "We are professionals for a reason. With or without Luka, winning is expected."

Doncic is the best player on the Mavericks. Irving is someone teammates look at with awe and admiration. Following them, it can be said that Washington is the most valuable player on the team. The 26-year-old brings toughness in the paint and versatility. He is averaging 2.3 combined steals and blocks per game while shooting threes at a 39.8% clip, a career best in both categories.

"I think he's like the key piece in terms of how he blends lineups," said Spencer Dinwiddie. "Just in terms of playing the three or the four. You can even see him at the five spot."

The Herb Jones Option

The Mavericks have considered trying to add an impactful perimeter defender before the Trade Deadline on February 6, according to sources close, said The Athletic. Herb Jones, from the New Orleans Pelicans, who was the only non-center last season to be part of the NBA's All-Defensive Team, is a player fitting that description. However, it's not believed in NBA circles that the Pelicans will trade him.

If the Mavericks don’t make a trade, the responsibility of stopping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a potential playoff rematch would fall on a combination of Washington, Marshall, and Grimes: "I feel like I can guard anybody," said Washington. "I'm comfortable guarding smalls and bigs. It doesn't matter."

The NBA's trendy team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, visit Dallas on Friday. Towards the end of the month, the Mavericks have two games against the three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets and another two against Gilgeous-Alexander, the player leading this year's MVP race.

"It's an important part of the season, for sure," said Irving. "This is where teams start to decline or start to improve. Teams are already building their identity for the playoffs. You see the trade rumors. A lot is happening, from a business standpoint. But internally, we feel really good. We just have to lift each other up. Depending on how I feel, I'm going to need them to lift me up. And I'm going to have to lift my guys."

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