Kyrie and Luka will be a frightening duo but the Mavs must fix their defensive issues

There has not been a Dallas Mavericks fan who hasn't uttered the words, 'Get Luka help'.

So when Kyrie Irving (30) announced that he wanted a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, Mavs owner Mark Cuban saw the opportunity as too good to turn down, and acquired the eight-time All-Star in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and future Draft picks.

So Luka finally 'got help', with one of the best ball handlers and point guards in the NBA joining forces with him.

But Kyrie comes with a bit of a reputation. Around the NBA, he is known as 'a coach killer', playing under eight different coaches in ten years. He is a polarising figure, with many believing that he creates a poisonous dressing room environment with his desire to be the main man after leaving a Cleveland Cavaliers team led by LeBron James in 2017.

He has also been caught up in off-court controversy too. Earlier this season, he was indefinitely suspended and ended up missing eight games after posting a link on Twitter to an anti-semitic film.

So with Kyrie joining the Mavs, a team that very much belongs to Luka, questions have been asked about whether they will get along and if Kyrie will be happy with the power dynamics in place.

This point is further emphasised by the fact that Luka has the second-highest usage rate in the NBA this season at 37.5%, just behind Giannis Antetokounmpou who is at 37.7%. He very much enjoys having the ball in his hands.

Dallas head coach Jason Kidd commented on this issue and was quick to state that this is still indeed Luka's team.

"This isn't two 23-year-olds trying to see who will be the alpha. We understand this is Luka's team. It will be Luka's team," Kidd said.

"Now we have improved the roster where somebody else can handle the ball."

Kyrie himself didn't seem upset with these comments, claiming that he "feels really wanted" in Dallas.

The American has played four times for the Mavs so far. In his first two games, he was his team's top scorer, helping Dallas to wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings, with an injured Luka watching on from the sidelines.

Prior to trading Kyrie, the Mavs were 1-7 this season without Luka on the court, so already, they are less reliant on the Slovenian and have proven they can cope without him.

22-year-old Josh Green has also shown huge improvements over the last few weeks and looks to be a quality role player in the team. His 29 points against the Utah Jazz on February 7th was a career-high.

However, in the two games in which Luka and Kyrie have stepped onto the court together, they have lost. 

But they needn't worry for a number of reasons.

Both players performed well in the losses. In their recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kyrie scored 36 points, picked up five rebounds and got six assists. Luka's numbers read 33-12-6.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with those figures at all.

But what is most interesting, is what occurred with 15 seconds to go.

The Mavs had possession and needed three points to take the game to overtime. Instead of taking on the shot, Luka and Kyrie proceeded to play hot potato with the basketball, passing it between one another, eventually giving away the ball and losing the game.

Credit must go to Minnesota, they defended brilliantly. But this is simply a case of two superstars overthinking, and not wanting to be accused of being selfish.

This links to their first game together. Luka missed a crucial three-pointer in overtime, when Kyrie was firing hot and in a far better position. 

Luka would admit after the game he should have passed to Kyrie. "It's my bad," he said.

"Should have given it back to Ky. For me, it's still a learning process. But for sure, I should have given it back. He was really hot down the stretch, so that was on me for sure."

And he's right. It's all a learning process. Luka has never played with someone of the calibre of Kyrie, and they will need time to gel. But they are both phenomenal players, and there is no question that they will eventually click.

They did both score 27 points in that game too by the way, so it's not like they struggled.

So offensively, they are likely to form a formidable backcourt partnership, one that would easily be strong enough to take them deep into the playoffs.

But unfortunately, that is just one half of basketball.

Last season, the Mavs were one of the top 10 strongest teams defensively. This season, they have the 23rd-best defensive rating in the NBA, with only seven teams sitting below them.

Their defensive roster has been pretty much the same as last season, so the drop-off is a big surprise.

Kyrie isn't known for his prowess in that department, so he isn't exactly going to solve what is arguably their most pressing issue.

The Mavs need better rim protectors. Someone to pick up rebounds.

Only one team has averaged under 40 rebounds per game this season - the Dallas Mavericks (38.8).

In their last game, centre Dwight Powell ended with one rebound in his 14 minutes on court. That's just not sustainable for a side that is trying to get to the NBA Finals. He has to do more.

Green has been their only real shining light defensively in the last few months, and with Finney-Smith moving to the Nets, they have lost a defensive option.

But there is a massive positive coming soon for the Mavs. Something that will give them a huge boost for the rest of the season.

German Maxi Kleber has been out since December 13th after tearing his hamstring and requiring surgery. At six foot eight inches, he is the Mavs' best defensive man and is set to return after the NBA All-Star Game on February 20th.

It will be a huge plus for Dallas to have him back, and they will be hoping that he can be the man to offer more protection around the rim.

So as we enter the final two months of the NBA regular season, the Dallas Mavericks are poised nicely in the Western Conference and will be targeting a strong run to push themselves higher up the standings.

If they can strike the right balance between defence and offence, then they will be one of the most feared teams in the NBA.

But one thing is for sure, with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic in the same team, they have made themselves a must-watch team. It is going to be a lot of fun in Dallas.