The trade that sent Luka Doncic to the bright lights of LA was an earthquake felt by the sports world at magnitudes the Richter scale could not quantify.
Everything since has been a merciless aftershock for the Dallas Mavericks. Anthony Davis‘ tenure with the Mavs so far is two quarters long because of yet another injury— one he suffered in his debut. On top of this, Daniel Gafford is now out for six weeks with a Grade 3 MCL sprain.
If someone said things couldn’t get worse, they were dead wrong.
Look On The Bright Side
Yes, there is a bright side to all this, though it’s not too bright.
The one thing the Mavs still have in their back pocket is that the All-Star Break lasts a week. During this time, Davis will knock a week off his adductor strain recovery time without costing the Mavs games and ground.
The All-Star Break will also provide head coach Jason Kidd with time to make plans for everything— plans for the situation they’re currently in, any situations they could be in down the road, etc. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind, but he especially has had one of the hardest jobs within the organization post-trade.
He’s become the guy who now has to make it work without his entire frontcourt and no Luka. They still have Kyrie Irving, of course, but he can only do so much.
This whole organization and everything around it has been moving nonstop ever since Luka was shipped out of town. Perhaps now, they get a chance to rest and regroup for the second half of the year.
No Defense = No Championships
When GM Nico Harrison acquired Davis, he had a vision.
He envisioned a team that could shut any offense down on any night. Harrison said three words immediately following the trade that caught everyone’s eye: “Defense wins championships.” The defense he had created with the Davis frontcourt would’ve had a very good chance to do so.
Now, the vision Harrison may be destined to stay a vision.
AD’s and Gafford’s injuries are catastrophic for Dallas moving forward. The Mavericks don’t have a true center on their roster now, as young star Dereck Lively and veteran Dwight Powell are also injured. They’ve resorted to the well of the G League, bringing in Kylor Kelley on a two-way contract to give themselves anything at the center position.
Their other healthy options consist of:
- Oliver-Maxence Prosper at 6’7
- Kessler Edwards at 6’7
That’s it. The emphasis on “healthy options” is key here, too: P.J. Washington is also 6’7. However, not only would that be way out of his comfort zone, but he is also hurt. His ankle sprain is pretty short-term, however, so the Mavs should get him back to start the sprint to the finish.
In their current situation, their interior defense is an extreme weakness that will not have a cure for a while. This lack of size in the paint could lead to big games for opposing big men and big losses for Dallas— losses that could stockpile up to a point of no return, even once everyone gets healthy.
Harrison is right: defense does win teams’ championships. With how his team is constructed, however, his team will be thinking about survival before dreaming of playoff success.
Can The Dallas Mavericks Weather The Storm?
So, what lies ahead for Dallas?
To restart their season, they face the Pelicans and Warriors, then visit their old friend Luka in Los Angeles. The team finishes the month against the Hornets, then begins March against the Bucks, Grizzlies and Suns.
That’s three teams around or above their record. By then, Davis’ return is imminent. A double-header against San Antonio takes us to the 12th, past the one-month mark Davis is expected to miss. That’s seven games without their premier deadline acquisition.
Remember, this is all post-break as well. They navigated crucial back-to-back wins against Golden State and Miami. It should be seen as a victory if the Mavericks can come out of this stretch at or above .500.
It will be tough, but the Mavericks have had the kitchen sink thrown at them all year. If anyone can do it, it’s them.
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