Just when you think things couldn't possibly get worse for the Dallas Mavericks, the franchise seems to suffer another blow. Mavericks guard Dante Exum exited their 133-96 loss to the Houston Rockets in the second quarter due to a left hand injury, and NBA insider Shams Charania reports he has broken a bone and is out indefinitely.
Exum, who had two points (1-3 FG) against the Rockets, had become the Mavericks' starting point guard amid this injury crisis, and now he's out, too. With just under a month left for the end of the regular season, it's unlikely he'll play again in 2024-25.
Exum had already missed much of the start of this campaign after undergoing surgery on his right wrist, and this is just the latest setback in what has been an injury-riddled career. It's unfortunately not a surprise that the 29-year-old is out again, but the timing couldn't have been worse for the Mavericks..
Here's a look at who all are out at this point, along with Exum, and it's a grim read.
Kyrie Irving: Out (Left Knee Sprain/ACL)
Anthony Davis: Out (Left Adductor Strain)
Dereck Lively II: Out (Right Ankle Stress Fracture)
P.J. Washington: Out (Right Ankle Sprain)
Daniel Gafford: Out (Right Knee Sprain)
Jaden Hardy: Out (Right Ankle Sprain)
Kai Jones: Out (Left Quad Strain)
Olivier-Maxence Prosper: Out (Right Wrist Sprain)
Kyrie Irving and Olivier-Maxence Prosper are out for the season, and there isn't much clarity on how long some of the others, like Anthony Davis, will be out. If there is such a thing as a season from hell, you're looking at it.
At this point, the Mavericks barely even have enough players to play in the games, and you struggle to imagine the last time a team was in such a horrific situation. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd previously stated he had never seen an injury crisis like this where he couldn't even take a player out of a game to give them rest as there was no one to put in.
If you're a believer in the basketball gods, you probably think they're punishing the Mavericks here for trading Luka Doncic. It is just incredible how bad things have gotten for the team this season after they advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals. The Mavericks looked set to be a contender for years to come but are set to crash and burn in 2024-25.
This loss to the Rockets dropped the Mavericks to 33-35 this season, but they are still 10th in the standings in the Western Conference. The only reason they still hold that final Play-In Tournament spot despite losing seven of their last eight games is that the Phoenix Suns have been a complete mess this season. If the Suns steady the ship in these final weeks, the Mavericks will miss the postseason altogether.
The Mavericks will be in action next against the Philadelphia 76ers at American Airlines Center on Sunday at 1 PM ET. It's a clash between two teams ravaged by injuries, and it'll be interesting to see who wins the Injury Bowl.
