The Dallas Mavericks have now dropped four games in a row for the second time this season following their loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, and this loss to Cleveland came with an unexpected move within a few hours before the game.
Despite not being listed on the injury report all day, Irving was unexpectedly downgraded to out with an illness for this game, and Dallas' guard depth was pushed to the limit as Luka Doncic (calf strain) and Naji Marshall (suspension) were already out for this game.
Being without both superstars against the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference on Friday was not ideal, and despite it not initially seeming like it, it looks like Irving's absence is going to extend into the future.
Irving's back injury is the last thing the Mavericks needed
Irving was added to the injury report on Sunday with a "lumbar back sprain," and listed as out for Monday night's game against the Memphis Grizzlies, and fans got more clarity about what's going on with him on Monday afternoon.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Irving is expected to miss "at least" one to two weeks with a bulging disk in his back, and this was the absolute last thing that Mavericks fans needed. Dallas is now without their superstar duo for possibly the next few weeks, and Irving injuring his back came at the worst possible time. He is in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career as he is averaging 24.3 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 44.1 percent from downtown, and Mavs fans are going to have to wait to see him return to the floor. The Mavericks truly can't catch a break, and Irving's new back injury is a testament to that.
Every time that a Mavericks player gets over the wild locker room illness or gets healthy, a different player seemingly always goes down, and this has been some of the worst injury luck that Mavericks fans have seen. Dallas truly looks like one of the top teams in the NBA when they are fully healthy, but this team being fully healthy is something that fans have rarely gotten to see. Almost every significant role player on the team has missed some games this season, and they are in danger of dropping into play-in territory soon if they can't turn things around.
Dallas is in the middle of one of their toughest stretches of the season, and things aren't going to be getting easier any time soon. After playing the Grizzlies tonight, some of Dallas' upcoming games over the next few weeks include the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Boston Celtics, and the Mavs will be hoping that Irving's return is sooner rather than later in order to remain in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.
While having Irving out of the lineup for a week or two is going to seriously test this Mavericks team, there have been some promising revelations recently that should help them stay afloat. Klay Thompson is proving that he doesn't need Doncic to perform at a high level, and Marshall's return from suspension is tonight.
While Thompson and Marshall won't be able to come close to replicating what Irving and Doncic bring, they will play a big part in helping the Mavs stay above water. The Mavericks are now 20-15 on the year and the seventh seed in the West, and they're going to have to find a way to string together some wins. Dallas' schedule is only going to get harder, and we'll have you covered with all the latest when it comes to Irving's back injury along with his return to the hardwood.
