If you thought the New Orleans Pelicans were thwarted in the worst way by means of injury in the early stages of the regular season, the Dallas Mavericks certainly have it worse now. We’re now at the point where Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has a parasitic relationship with injury. It has latched on and will not leave. It happened again against the Phoenix Suns over the weekend, leaving Kidd and the Mavericks with just seven available players. Dallas had another cluster of injuries in the loss to Phoenix, and Kidd’s postgame reaction says it all.
Mavericks’ Jason Kidd In Disbelief Over Team’s Injury Woes
Dallas Mavericks Suffer More Injuries, Puts Jason Kidd In A Never-Been-Before Situation
By now, everyone knows the list of players the Mavericks are and will be without for the foreseeable future. The tragic group includes Kyrie Irving (ACL), Anthony Davis (adductor strain), Daniel Gafford (knee), Dereck Lively II (ankle), P.J. Washington (ankle), and Jaden Hardy (ankle). Last night, when the Mavs took on the Suns, a collision between Dwight Powell and Kessler Edwards led to head injuries for both. Edwards eventually returned to the game, sporting a bandage over his left eye. Powell, on the other hand, remained out. It wasn’t long before Brandon Williams exited the game with a hamstring problem. Dallas entered the game with nine players and left with seven.
Suffice it to say that Kidd is in line for a challenging finish to the year. Remember, just a month ago, the Mavericks were in playoff positioning. Unfortunately, and even more so for the Dallas fanbase, the playoffs are not a realistic outcome anymore. The trade that shocked the NBA involving Davis and Luka Dončić helped kick things off. So, where does Kidd go from here? Well, even he doesn’t sound so sure, and he admitted as much after the loss to Phoenix.
“I’ve never seen this…Never been in a game where you can’t take someone out to rest them because we had no one to put in…We had no subs because of the time restrictions on two [Dante Exum and Caleb Martin]. We’re trying to figure it out as we go.” Kidd then hinted at his rotation going into a consecutive game sting agains the San Antonio Spurs beginning tonight, Monday. “We’re probably going to have seven, eight at the most.”
Should Current Circumstances Lead to Another Offseason Trade?
The Mavericks are in the middle of a rock and a hard place with less than 20 games to go in the 2024-25 season. Considering that the playoffs are not in the stars, what the Mavericks will do in the summer is already a talking point. NBA analyst Rachel Nichols recently speculated on what Mavs GM Nico Harrison should do with AD after the season closes. She also talked about the big picture in Dallas since the deadline trade. The recent development with Irving’s injury will keep him sidelined going into the 2025-26 campaign. Nichols believes Harrison should avoid trading Davis even still. Outside voices are urging Harrison to do the opposite, such as ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. How Harrison would fare in the city of Dallas should he trade Davis and Luka in the same calendar year is another thing entirely. Nevertheless, Harrison’s next move, or moves, will be a hot topic of conversation going forward.
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