The whole NBA has been facing the issue of players missing time under health and safety protocols. While the league has tried to come up with a solution by allowing teams to sign extra players on 10-day contracts, sometimes those players get sidelined as well.
The Dallas Mavericks are currently missing Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke, Brandon Knight, and Isaiah Thomas due to health and safety protocols. It is clear that their situation at the guard positions is desperate, and coach Jason Kidd has joked about it, saying that the team is trying to figure out if he’s able to play against the Sacramento Kings.
Jason Kidd during his pregame media chat: “We’re trying to figure out if I’m eligible to play tonight.” https://t.co/UjuMpEUMP3
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 31, 2021
Of course, it is highly unlikely that Jason Kidd will suit up for the team, even if he wants to. With that being said, he was an elite point guard during his time on the Dallas Mavericks, winning a championship with the team during the 2010-11 season. Hopefully, the Dallas Mavericks are able to field a competitive team tonight, though that is obviously difficult considering the fact that they’re missing a top-10 player in Luka Doncic, and are forced to field a lot of 10-day players.
The Dallas Mavericks are currently 8th in the Western Conference with a 16-18 record. It is clear that they have had a tough time without Luka Doncic, and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games. However, there have been some bright spots to the season. Young guard Jalen Brunson has been a revelation for the team, and he is currently averaging 16.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 5.5 APG. The Dallas Mavericks were previously reported as wanting a secondary ballhandler behind Luka Doncic, and perhaps Jalen Brunson can fill that role when Doncic returns.
We’ll see what happens with the team going forward, and hopefully, they don’t fall too much from their position in the standings. The return of their players from health and safety protocols should give them a boost in the near future, so perhaps we’ll see them go on a winning run.
