The Dallas Mavericks narrowly defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 137-136 on Wednesday night.
It was a matchup between two former Duke stars Kyrie Irving and Zion Williamson. Irving finished with 25 points, nine rebounds, and six assists while Williamson registered 29 points, seven assists, and six rebounds.
After the game, Irving opened up about the first pick of the 2019 NBA Draft.
“He’s been through a lot, in his personal life and just with injuries,” Irving said. “Just came in the league with so much hype… He lived up to the majority of it, in terms of games he was playing… I just pray for him just to be healthy and to stay focused on the craft and the mission at hand and just remember why we play this game. … I feel like he’s been a true professional.”
To Irving’s point, Williamson did come into the league with a lot of hype.
His frame and athleticism had teams salivating at the prospect of landing the South Carolina native, and he made the All-Star team in just his second season in the league after averaging 27 points on 61.1% shooting, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
However, injuries and conditioning concerns have limited his ability to stay on the court, but his numbers still look great in the games he has played in. There’s no indication that the Pelicans are looking to trade Williamson, though he might benefit from a change of scenery.
Dallas has not been linked to any trade rumors surrounding Williamson, but if the Mavs somehow got him, his game could reach a whole new level with Luka Doncic setting him up for some powerful finishes at the rim.
MORE MAVS NEWS: NBA champion ranks Mavericks as No. 5 trade destination for six-time All-Star
