Mavs' Porzingis OUT vs. Sixers; How Bad Is Injury?

The Dallas Mavericks will be without Kristaps Porzingis during the team's Friday matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Dallas Mavericks have been without Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup since the team's 132-105 win over the Indiana Pacers on January 29. Porzingis only played 11 minutes before having to leave the game.

The Mavericks initially described Porzingis' injury as ‘knee soreness’ but have since labeled it as a 'right knee bone bruise' in their latest announcement. He has been ruled out for Friday's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. It will be the third-consecutive game Porzingis has missed.

And here's the problem, sometimes, with a "bone bruise''; it can mean something more than a bruise. It can actually be indicative of a tiny fracture.

If that is the case - and we do not yet know if it is - is doesn't have to mean disaster. But it's something to watch, and something that needs clarity, because we think of a "bruise'' as an insignificant injury that shows up as discoloration of the skin.

Here's hoping it's only that.

Porzingis, who has already missed time due to COVID-19, will have missed 20 games on the season when accounting for the team's upcoming outing. 

"He said he's worried a little bit," Luka Doncic said after the Mavericks' win over the Pacers last weekend, via ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "Hopefully, it's nothing. If he's hurting, it doesn't make sense to play."

On the season, Porzingis has appeared in 34 games and is averaging 19.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He is shooting a career-low 28.3 percent from beyond the arc and is averaging below the 20 points per game threshold for the first time since 2016-17. 

Much of the Mavericks' chances to make some noise in the 2022 NBA playoffs relies on the availability and impact of Porzingis. Dallas relies on his length to anchor their defense and overall, the team is posting a 107.0 defensive rating (fifth). 

Perhaps a concerning element to Porzingis' injury diagnosis is that his right knee is one that has undergone surgery in the past. With Porzinigis, there is always a concern with durability and adding soreness in a knee with a pre-existing history deserves a closer level of attention.

In Porzingis' absence, the Mavericks deployed Dwight Powell in the starting lineup during their 110-108 loss to the Orlando Magic and their 120-114 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It is safe to say that KP’s presence has been missed.

The Mavericks already will be without Tim Hardaway Jr. likely for the remainder of the 2021-22 regular season, as he suffered a fifth metatarsal fracture in his left foot. If Porzingis is also out for an extended period of time, the Mavs will be pressed even harder to find reinforcements before the February 10 trade deadline buzzer.