The Dallas Mavericks made a risky trade in 2023, acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and some future draft capital. While they missed the playoffs that year, Irving combined with Luka Doncic in the 2023-24 season to make a surprise run to the NBA Finals.
That run has brought a lot of praise back to Irving. He was seen as mercurial, hard to handle, and a flight risk for a few years. Now he’s correctly viewed as one of the most talented offensive players ever as people return to focus on what he can do on the court.
Former All-Star and Dallas Mavericks guard Deron Williams recently did a podcast with Players TV and was asked about the pairing of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and he went all out to praise Irving.
“Kyrie is the most skilled player I’ve ever seen, as far as just pure skill. There’s nothing on the offensive end that he can’t do… He’s a wizard with the basketball.”
“Kyrie is the most skilled player I’ve ever seen, as far as just pure skill,” Williams said. “There’s nothing on the offensive end that he can’t do… He’s a wizard with the basketball.”
Deron Williams was a great player himself, making three straight All-Star games from 2010 to 2012 and two All-NBA teams. After his first full season with the Brooklyn Nets in the 2012-13 season, injuries caught up to him, and his production started to fall off. The Nets waived him in 2015 where he was picked up by his hometown Dallas Mavericks. In 105 games with the Mavs, he averaged 13.7 PPG. Williams went to high school just north of Dallas in The Colony, Texas.