Mavericks' Kyrie Irving injury nightmare throws rising prodigy into the fire

As soon as the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers just before midnight on February 1, all eyes were immediately locked on Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Nico Harrison went all in on the Irving-Davis duo, as he believed Dallas would have a better shot to win a title with Davis as the epicenter rather than Doncic, but his bold plan to push for the 2025 title blew up in the blink of an eye.

Davis went down with an adductor strain in his first game as a Maverick, and less than a month later, Irving went down with an ACL tear against the Sacramento Kings. The Mavs' season couldn't have ended any worse, and with Irving set to miss a large chunk of the 2025-26 season, Brandon Williams is going to be thrown in the fire immediately.

Dallas signed Williams to a two-way deal back in 2023, and again for the 2024-25 season, and he was so impressive for the Mavericks last season that they decided to convert his two-way deal to a standard contract by the end of the season.

Brandon Williams faces trial by fire

Last season for Dallas, Williams averaged 8.3 points, 2.3 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from downtown. He was electric for Dallas down the stretch, as they badly needed his ball handling, shooting, and shot creation while Irving was out of the lineup, and they are bound to ask much out of him again next season.

Even with D'Angelo Russell signing a two-year deal with Dallas, the Mavericks are still going to need more offensive creation. Much more.

Having Irving out of the lineup is a major blow that can't be overlooked, and even if Williams' role isn't as big as it was to finish last season, he is still one of the team's best shot creators, and the Mavs are going to need plenty of that during the first half of the season. Williams was commonly compared to Irving last season, and he clearly took some pages out of his book as he learned from him, relying upon him on and off the court.

Outside of Williams, Jaden Hardy and occasionally Russell are the only other guards who can go get a bucket at any moment, and with Williams handily outperforming Hardy toward the end of last season, he will likely surpass Hardy in the rotation completely unless Hardy has a wild offseason leap.

With that being said, Williams' minutes are going to be extremely important, and him taking major strides in his game could end up being major for Dallas, especially for the beginning of the season. Williams's dribbling and craftiness can be compared to that of Irving, as his ability to get to the rim and finish, break down defenders off the bounce, and hit mid-range and 3-point jumpers is electrifying, and he'll be a major X-factor off the bench.

It's undeniable that the Mavs' offense is going to need some help to begin the season with Irving sidelined, and with Jason Kidd and Harrison doubling down on the team's double-big strategy, the backcourt is going to have a major weight on their shoulders that they're going to have to carry.

The Mavericks' poor shooting killed them at the end of last season, and role players are going to have to step up as shooters from downtown for them to stay afloat in the Western Conference. The West is no joke, and Dallas needs to be in a comfortable position around the All-Star break to ensure Irving doesn't overexert himself and feel like he has to do everything once he's back in the lineup.

Williams can play a big part in that by showing Kidd that he can be a normal rotation player, and the beginning of the season could be key for him to become a nightly player rather than getting sent to the doghouse in favor of Dante Exum or Hardy. This will be Williams' first full season on a standard deal, and even though he may be put into an uncomfortable position by having to perform at a high level every single night, this season will be huge for his development.

The next step in his career arc is proving that he can consistently be a spark plug off the bench while playing with efficiency and poise, and the 2025-26 season could make or break his Mavericks future.