The Dallas Mavericks just received another devastating blow to their season. This time, it’s a setback to rookie standout Cooper Flagg, who has been one of the lone bright spots for his team all season.
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Flagg will miss tonight’s game against the Lakers with a left midfoot sprain. He will also miss this weekend’s Rising Stars game, effectively ruling him out until after the All-Star break. Despite playing 35 minutes in Tuesday’s loss, he went for an MRI today, which confirmed the latest diagnosis.
Sadly, it’s just one of many injuries for the Mavericks. Flagg makes the eighth player on the injury report tomorrow, joining Moussa Cisse (G League two-way), Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Miles Kelly (G League two-way), Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), Naji Marshall (left foot strain), Caleb Martin (left ankle sprain), and Ryan Nembhard (G League two-way).
The Lakers, meanwhile, will be without Luka Doncic for the fourth straight game as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, both LeBron James and Austin Reaves are both expected to play after missing the recent matchup against the Spurs.
It was supposed to be a high-profile showdown between Luka Doncic and his former team, but the scene has lost some importance without Doncic and now Flagg. For the Mavs, in particular, it’s going to be tough to get this win without their leading voice and offensive engine on the floor. They will turn to guys like Max Christie, Tyus Jones, and P.J. Washington to fill the void, but it remains to be seen how they will stay competitive.
As for Flagg, knee injuries are never a simple problem. They come with all kinds of added risks, and caution is needed to avoid the potential of re-aggravation. The typical recovery time for this injury is 2-8 weeks, meaning that Flagg could be out well beyond the All-Star break. It’s obviously a major setback for Flagg, who is the runaway frontrunner for rookie of the year. In 49 games this season, he’s averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 48.2% shooting and 30.2% shooting from three.
For the Mavericks, who sit at 12th in the West, any extended absence for Flagg could be enough to end their season. With the team on an eight-game losing streak, they are losing a lot of ground in the West, and time is running short. In fact, if the Mavericks don’t turn it around soon, we could see them resort to tanking in an effort to secure a high draft pick this summer.
