The Dallas Mavericks have struggled mightily down the stretch this season despite trading for star point guard Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline. This has raised a ton of questions as to what is the problem in Dallas. NBA Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway seems to believe that it is a lack of leadership from both Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.
Hardaway discussed the Mavericks’ struggles on The Carton Show Wednesday morning, where he detailed that he believes trading for Irving was a mistake.
“I’ll say this, I think Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie was their defensive anchor. Especially Finney-Smith, he was a defensive force where he blocked shots and made things happen. Me personally, that trade wasn’t for them. I think I would have kept what I had. What is not broken doesn’t need to be fixed.”
He then dove deeper into both Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, saying that neither is a leader on this Mavericks team.
“It’s not Kyrie’s fault. Everyone thought that Kyrie was going to be the savior or take them to the next level. He is just playing the way that he normally plays. They are missing a leader out there. Luka is not a leader, Kyrie is not a leader. A leader goes out there and gives the team confidence. Those two guys are not leaders.
"That trade wasn't for them, what isn't broken doesn't need to be fixed. They're missing a leader out there. Luka is not a leader, Kyrie is not a leader."
— @HardawaySr on the Mavs: pic.twitter.com/5IfbQHmHYg
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) April 5, 2023
It is certainly interesting to hear Tim Hardaway call out both Dončić and Irving’s leadership for multiple reasons. His son, Tim Hardaway Jr. is notably on the team and plays a pretty significant role as a starter for them. This could give Hardaway Sr. a very different perspective on this Mavericks team that the general public doesn’t have.
Regardless it looks like the Mavericks’ hopes of potentially making the playoffs could be fading quickly. The team recently revealed that they are considering shutting down both Dončić and Irving for the remainder of the season.
