Kyrie Irving shares honest feelings on Mavericks' potential after Anthony Davis' injury and Max Christie's arrival

Kyrie Irving's new-look Dallas Mavericks are plagued by injuries entering the stretch run of their playoff push. However, the nine-time All-Star sees the vision for his frontcourt-heavy squad once it gets to full strength.

On Feb. 2, Dallas reconstructed its roster by unanticipatedly shipping superstar guard Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers via a three-team deal. The franchise landed superstar big man Anthony Davis, third-year wing Max Christie and LA's 2029 first-round draft pick. Afterward, its general manager Nico Harrison stressed that he made a defensive-minded move.

However, a week after the trade, Davis was diagnosed with a left adductor strain after exiting his Mavericks debut early. He is joined on the injury report by most of Dallas' frontcourt rotation, including Dereck Lively II (ankle), Daniel Gafford (knee) and P.J. Washington (ankle).

Fortunately for the shorthanded Mavericks, Christie has been a revelation through his first six outings, serving as a reliable two-way player. He is averaging 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.5 3-pointers per game, shooting 48.6%. Meanwhile, Dallas (30-26) has gone 4-2 with him in its lineup.

In an interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews released on Wednesday, Irving was asked about the full-strength Mavericks' potential. Andrews mentioned the idea of a "supersized lineup with (Irving) kind of in the middle at the hub of it all."

The 2016 NBA champion spoke glowingly about Davis and Christie's early impact, and highlighted Gafford, Lively and Washington's upside.

"We had how many minutes together? And I think everybody saw it, and it was a microcosm of just the impact that AD makes," Irving said.

"And then, also having Gaff, and you look at the potential of D-Live put in there with him, and then P.J., who is emerging as a young star in our league. We also got Max Christie, who was a high-level player for the Lakers."

However, Davis, Lively and Gafford are dealing with relatively significant injuries. So, Dallas will have to carry on with its postseason push with an undermanned center rotation.

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Kyrie Irving says Mavericks need to take care of business in Anthony Davis' absence

Later in his ESPN interview, Kyrie Irving referenced Dallas' recovery timeline. The 14-year veteran expressed optimism that everything would work out. However, he acknowledged the necessity for his squad to implement a next-man-up mentality.

"We're getting healthy at the right time. No matter who's in, we gotta take care of this," Irving said.

The Western Conference's eighth-seeded Mavericks (30-26) resume play on Friday when they host the New Orleans Pelicans (13-42). That marks their first of 26 post-All-Star break contests before the playoffs.

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