By james art On Monday night, the Utah Jazz got a chance to see one of the best guards in the league, Kyrie Irving, as they faced the Dallas Mavericks in a 102-110 loss that ended up being an 0-3 start for Utah.
It was a typical breakout night for Irving, as the eight-time All-Star guard led the Mavericks on the night, recording 23 points to go along with six rebounds and nine assists. At 32 years old, turning 33 this season, you might expect his production to eventually decline over time, but to this point, the 13-year league veteran has yet to show any signs of it.
After the game, Jazz head coach Will Hardy commented on what he saw from the Mavericks guard, giving him notable praise.
“He’s one of the most fundamentally sound players we have,” Hardy said. “His [shot] the base is perfect and wide, he jumps straight up and down, he keeps his follow through…He’s one of the most skilled players I’ve ever seen.”
Irving is off to another strong start to his 2024-25 campaign, averaging 23.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists on 47.4% shooting from the field and an elite 53.8% from the three-point line . While it’s a small sample size, it’s clear that Uncle Drew doesn’t plan on going anywhere after last year’s Finals run against the Boston Celtics — and Will Hardy took note.
Fortunately for the Jazz and Hardy, they will soon have the opportunity to get back at Irving and the Mavericks further down the stretch this season, with two games scheduled late next month on November 14th and 30th.
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