Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks are without a doubt one of the hottest teams in the 2023-24 NBA regular season. The Mavericks have a 6-1 record after winning their first four games of the season and going 2-0 after a loss to Nikola Jokic and the reigning NBA champions Denver Nuggets.

The explanation for the Mavericks’ early success, according to Irving, is simple (h/t Dallas’ X account).

“This year, we’ve really galvanized each other and held each other accountable throughout those difficult moments, which has helped our relationship…It’s bigger than the two of us [Kyrie and Luka]…It’s more of a group effort.”

Although the Mavericks are primarily considered as a team that will go as far as their superstar tandem of Irving and Luka Doncic will carry them, the superb play of the supporting cast cannot be overlooked.

Consider Dallas newbie Grant Williams, who has been shooting the lights out this season. Williams, who joined the Mavericks from the Boston Celtics, is averaging 15.1 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the field and 54.3 percent from behind the arc.

Dereck Lively II, the team’s rookie, has also been a revelation, averaging 9.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Many observers were perplexed when the Mavericks decided to sign Irving to an extension in the offseason, after an apparently disastrous experiment with Doncic the previous season, when Dallas failed to make the playoffs. That identical experiment, however, appears to be finally working. The Mavericks’ next challenge will be to maintain their current form in the long haul.