Dallas Mavericks fans just want to wake up. They have been trapped in a nightmare for more than a month now, as the combination of losing Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and seeing the team’s existing core players go down with injuries continues to decimate morale. An NBA Play-In Tournament appearance is the squad’s best chance at relieving some of the city’s anguish. That probably cannot happen without Anthony Davis and a formidable frontcourt, though. Luckily, he and his fellow big men are seemingly trending in the right direction.
Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II have been assigned to the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ G League affiliate, via ClutchPoints reporter Joey Mistretta. There are still no official timetables set, but this development ostensibly suggest that the trio could be close to returning. Davis has already practiced with the Legends once and will participate in his second five-on-five practice on Friday, per NBA correspondent Marc Stein.
Mavericks desperate for good fortune late in season
The reinforcements cannot arrive soon enough. It might even be too late, with Dallas (33-37) currently tied with the Phoenix Suns for the fourth and final slot in the NBA Play-In Tournament after losing nine of its last 10 games (Suns own tiebreaker). Davis has only played 26 minutes as a member of the Mavericks, suffering an abductor strain during his electric team debut on Feb. 8. Because star point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL early in March, there is no chance of seeing the Mavericks at full force this year and probably for a big chunk of next season.
Lively has been out for more than two months due to a stress fracture in his ankle, and a Grade 3 MCL sprain has kept Gafford on the sidelines since Feb. 10. Dallas has embodied notable grit during this avalanche of injuries, but it is starting to get crushed. A home matchup versus the challenging Detroit Pistons (39-31) on Friday precedes a four-game road trip.
Perhaps one or all of Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II will rejoin the Mavericks before the squad returns home at the end of the month. The guillotine is lined up with the franchise’s neck, but it has not come down yet. If this group manages to get healthy before the regular season concludes on April 13, there is a possibility the campaign can pack some unexpected intrigue.
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