Mavericks happy with Kyrie Irving as team in playoff race

Remember when Kyrie Irving was considered the missing piece in Dallas?

Well, that passed quickly, but apparently the organization doesn’t think it’s his own doing, even though it went down 36-38 in a tie for 10th place in the Western Conference standings on Sunday and due to a tiebreak on the 11th

The Mavericks, who were 6-8 in games Irving played against the Hornets on Sunday, have praised Irving for “his professionalism and presence in the locker room.” according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Dallas acquired Irving from the Nets days before the NBA trade deadline after the guard requested a trade from Brooklyn.

Markieff Morris also went to the Mavericks, while the Nets got Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and draft picks, including a prospective first-rounder.

The report came after the Mavericks screwed up what felt like a must-play game against the tanking Charlotte Hornets with 24 wins on their home soil.

Along with Irving, head coach Jason Kidd and star Luka Doncic voiced their dissatisfaction after the embarrassing 117-109 loss that included a 69-55 half-time deficit.

“[We] Probably should have booed in the first quarter, just the trouble in the game” said Kidd on Friday night. “You have a right [to boo]. You paid to see a better show. It wasn’t there by the second half. We can’t get out like that, especially at this time of year.”

The frustration doesn’t seem to be between the on-court partnership with Doncic and Irving, however.

The Mavericks had another crack on Hornets Sunday — they trailed by 14 after the first quarter — beginning a five-game road trip, including matchups with the likely playoff-bound Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat.

Irving is also quite famous in the final year of a four-year, $136 million deal originally signed with the Nets in the summer of 2019.

Irving, who just turned 31, will become an unrestricted free agent after completing his 12th NBA season.