The Dallas Mavericks will be without Kyrie Irving for a decent portion of next season as he recovers from an ACL tear, and some Mavs fans have panicked while wondering how they'll survive while he is out. Even though there is a reason for concern that Dallas could struggle without Irving, as he is one of the most skilled players that this league has ever seen, the Mavs have the depth to weather the storm that is his absence.
In the backcourt specifically, Dallas has Brandon Williams, D'Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum to help hold down the fort until Irving makes his comeback, and even though some fans pushed Nico Harrison to trade for another guard during the offseason, this group has the potential to adequately replace Irving.
Williams ended last season on a heater, as he averaged 16.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 54.1 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from downtown. His elite play down the stretch ultimately caused Dallas to give him a standard deal after being on a two-way contract for most of the season, but he likely won't shoulder the biggest load in this guard room.
Mavericks' depth will soften the blow of Kyrie Irving's absence
The 2025-26 season will be massive for Russell, and his performance at the beginning of the season will be crucial for the team's overall success. He has big shoes to fill, and even though Irving is irreplaceable, Russell has become one of the more underrated players on the team.
Harrison signed him to be the team's backup point guard once Irving is healthy, but the most important part of his season will be the time that Irving is out. Russell is an excellent playmaker and shooter, and if he can just be serviceable until Irving comes back, Dallas will be just fine.
While Williams, Exum, and Russell will be solid options to run the show without Irving, their depth on the rest of the roster is what really stands out. Multiple other players, such as Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, and Naji Marshall, can handle the ball when needed as well, and Jason Kidd will have plenty of players who can handle the ball within his rotation.
Kidd has already made it clear that he plans to have Flagg handle the ball often, and this strategy, combined with a bounce-back year from Russell, could end up giving the Mavs enough production to be serviceable.
The Mavericks will likely trot out a starting five of Russell, Klay Thompson, Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II to begin the year, and even though this lineup is bound to dominate, their bench unit is also dangerous and worth noting.
Having Williams, Max Christie, Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford all potentially coming off the bench shows how deep Jason Kidd's squad truly is, and they shouldn't have any problems staying afloat during the first half of the season. Dallas' frontcourt is being headlined by players like Davis, Washington, Lively II, Gafford, and Flagg, and while their guard room is a bit behind them, they should still be able to carry their weight and give enough support to remain a top team in the West.
Things won't be the same with Irving watching from the bench, but the Mavs have the depth to survive until he's back.