NBA News: Dallas Mavericks player makes surprising admission about Kyrie Irving's playstyle

The Dallas Mavericks are well known for their high-scoring prowess, with stars like Luka Doncic and now Klay Thompson playing key roles in that offensive firepower. However, their defense has often been a point of concern. One Mavs player, though, made a surprising confession about Kyrie Irving’s defensive skills.

Quentin Grimes has been considered an elite defensive asset on the perimeter since high school, and now joins Irving on the Mavericks. After the team’s morning shootaround before the preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies, Grimes described Irving as an “underrated defender.”

“Kai (Irving), kind of a really underrated defender honestly. I played against him in Brooklyn and everything,” Grimes said. When asked why Irving is considered underrated defensively, he shared his perspective.

“Usually good offensive players are pretty underrated defenders. So I remember in Brooklyn he was always like, really good with his hands, get his hands on a lot of balls… Get out in transition and get buckets. Kyrie, when I was in Brooklyn, I felt like he was always an underrated defender in my opinion,” he added.

Quentin Grimes #5 of the Dallas Mavericks drives around Luke Kennard #10 of the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half of a pre-season game at American Airlines Center on October 7, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.

Grimes’ proficiency as an elite defender and spot-up shooter will bring security to the Mavericks. Whether Irving will play a crucial role in solidifying the team’s defense remains to be seen, but the former Piston and Knicks believes the overall defense is “scary underrated.”

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Why is Irving not playing vs Grizzlies

Kyrie Irving is set to miss the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA preseason opener on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. He won’t be the only star absent, as Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson are also sidelined. So, what’s going on with the Mavs’ key players?

In the cases of Irving and Thompson, the Mavericks announced that both will be out due to “rest.” Fans eager to see them in action will have to wait until at least Thursday for their preseason debuts.

Doncic’s situation, however, is more concerning. The Slovenian star is dealing with a left calf contusion, an injury he sustained before training camp. There’s no update yet on whether he’ll be available for Thursday’s game against the Utah Jazz.