Dallas Mavericks' latest injury update exposes a major dilemma ahead

Heading into today's matinee matchup against the Denver Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks have won two games in a row, and it seems like they're finally figuring out how to win games without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Both superstars are out with various injuries, and Dallas has found ways to battle adversity and win each of the last two games against the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers. While Dallas' win over the Lakers was a blowout, their win over the Blazers was extremely close, and they dug themselves out of a 10-point hole and won after a wild end-of-game run.

Outside of Dallas' superstars, they only have one injured player on the roster right now, and it looks like he could be trending towards a return according to Mavs head coach Jason Kidd.

Exum's return from injury will create a guard logjam

Dante Exum has been out of the lineup since training camp after undergoing surgery on his right wrist, and he is progressing well ahead of his impending return.

"I think he's out to the 3-point line shooting now. A lot of positives there," Kidd said about Exum's injury after Saturday's practice. "It's just a matter of getting the scheduled appointment to check to see how the wrist is doing and go from there. He's in great shape. He's done a lot of solo workouts. I think he's excited to test the wrist out when he's cleared to do that."

From what Kidd had to say, it sounds like Exum is doing some shooting with his right hand now, but he still isn't doing any contact work. Exum beginning to shoot with his right hand is a major step in the right direction because Kidd's update from a few weeks ago was just that he is doing a bunch of work with his left hand. He has also been staying in basketball shape despite being injured, and this should help him return to the lineup quicker as he won't have to go through a long process of working on his conditioning before returning to the lineup.

It seems like Exum could be returning sometime soon, and while fans are excited to have the all-around point guard back in the rotation and on the floor, his return is going to create an undeniable lineup dilemma that Kidd is going to have to handle at some point.

Kidd is going to have to figure out how he is going to distribute Spencer Dinwiddie, Jaden Hardy, and Exum's minutes, and while the answer may seem easy, it is getting more complicated by the game.

Hardy is playing his best basketball of the season right now, as he has scored 15 or more points in each of the last four games. His 3-point shooting has been a major difference-maker recently, and he is starting to look like he could be a permanent member of the rotation even after Doncic and Irving return due to his improved catch-and-shoot 3-point shooting and being more consistent.

On the other hand, Dinwiddie has also been great as of late, as he played a pivotal role in both of Dallas' most recent wins. He is looking like someone who the Mavs can't afford to bench, even once Exum returns, and he has already outplayed his veteran minimum contract. His improvement as a playmaker has been evident, and Kidd is putting tons of trust in him right now to run the show and be a primary initiator with both stars out. Dinwiddie's ability to step up when one or both superstars are out has been outstanding, and his random scoring outbursts have been big in a couple of Dallas' wins this season.

Kidd figuring out how to fit Exum into this puzzle is going to be somewhat difficult with both Dinwiddie and Hardy playing so well, but this is one of the best problems to have in sports. Having three players who are capable of playing a similar role is huge for Kidd, and Hardy and Dinwiddie's ability to play off the ball makes them versatile in most lineups. If Exum can return to playing as well as he did during the regular season last year, Dallas' trio of guards off the bench is going to quietly be one of their strengths, and his return to the floor will be a major step in the team getting fully healthy.