The Mavericks suffered a tough setback in Los Angeles before tipoff, and it happened before the game even started. P.J. Washington (right ankle sprain) went down during pregame warmups after landing on a loose ball, ruling him out moments before facing the Clippers. It was an awkward, freakish moment of bad luck that darkened an already bleak situation in Dallas.
The injury only added to an already depleted roster in which Anthony Davis (left calf injury management), Daniel Gafford (right ankle injury management), and Dereck Lively II (right foot injury management) were all ruled out tonight in the frontcourt. Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery) and Dante Exum (right knee injury management) were also unavailable, leaving Dallas incredibly thin.
With so many core pieces missing, the Mavericks were forced to adjust on the fly and rely heavily on Cooper Flagg, who dropped 21 points and six rebounds in the first half on 58.8 percent shooting. In the aftermath of the Luka trade, he has been the lone beacon of hope for the Mavs, and he gave them another reason to believe tonight as he carried the load.
Still, his performance does not change what has been a miserable season for Dallas. At 5-15, things have gotten dire, and P.J. Washington’s setback tonight has only made things worse. With his availability uncertain for the next few games, it remains to be seen if this team can salvage its season.
Between the injuries, the firing of Nico Harrison, and the constant losing, everything has been going wrong for this team, and it will take a miracle for them to recover. Even more so than P.J., the key to their success is Anthony Davis’ availability.
The star big man is one of the best players in the league when healthy, but he has seen limited time on the court this season. In six games, he is averaging 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game on 52.9 percent shooting.
Fortunately, he is expected to return Monday in Denver, but it hardly settles concerns about his availability for the rest of the season. His health has been shaky at best, and we can only expect that to continue as he gets older.
For now, all they can do is play on and hope for the best. With so much talent on paper, there is confidence that this season may not be over yet, but they will need the injury luck to start going the other way to turn this around.
Ultimately, if Dallas has any chance of climbing out of this early hole, they will need healthier bodies and far more stability than they have had so far. The talent is there, but the constant setbacks have kept this team from ever finding a rhythm. As they wait for key players to return, the Mavericks can only hope that tonight’s misfortune is the low point of a season that still has time to turn around.
