Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
Whether you want to credit him or not, there’s an argument to be made that Kyrie Irving hit one of the most clutch shots in NBA history. But hitting a big shot in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, completing a 3-1 series comeback on the biggest stage against the mighty 73-win Golden State Warriors, is not the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Kyrie anymore. That’s more of a side fact for him.
While most of that is due to his off-the-court antics, his on-the-court play over the last few seasons hasn’t helped him any either. But heading into this season, Kyrie will have a good opportunity to begin to change the tune of his legacy.
Kyrie, Luka Doncic, and the Dallas Mavericks are somewhat of an afterthought heading into the season. There aren’t many that are giving them a puncher’s shot at being a big threat in the Western Conference this season and if Kyrie can keep his head down and do what he does best, perhaps the narrative around him will slowly begin to change for the good.