Mavs See Unfinished Business After 5-2 Homestand Amid Frequent Injuries

The Mavs are 27-14 through 41 games, but the team isn't ready to think too much when self-reflecting, given the unclear picture created by injuries.

LOS ANGELES — The Dallas Mavericks completed half of the 82-game regular season schedule with a 125-120 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. The team enters their upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 27-14 record, ranking fifth in the Western Conference standings. 

Despite having the team's best start through 41 games since the 2019-20 season, the Mavs haven't had consistent chances to get extended runs with this group. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have only played 20 total games together, while that total drops to only 16 when factoring in games played with Dereck Lively II, too. The team has a 117.7 offensive rating (7th) and a 116.2 defensive rating (18th), resulting in a 1.5 net rating (14th) — with no shortage of holes in the context due to injuries. 

“Quite a few guys have been out and not just for one or two games,” Kidd said. “But we have kept the ship afloat. I think you can give credit to the guys in that locker room. When they have the opportunity, they take full advantage of it. And so the next step is to slowly get healthy and go from there.”

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Doncic did his best to carry the Mavs throughout December, averaging a historic 37.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 11.1 assists while the team dealt with many injuries. Irving and Lively, among others, have since returned to the lineup, with Doncic nearing a potential return after missing four games. He was upgraded to questionable for Wednesday's game as he manages a right ankle sprain. 

Doncic, Irving, and Lively have sometimes been in and out of the lineup. Still, additional challenges have been encountered by various rotation players suffering multi-week injuries between Maxi Kleber, Josh Green, and now Dante Exum. The Mavs aren't interested in looking too closely at the group yet. 

“It’s not fair to judge this group yet,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “With all the injuries, I think we’re setting a franchise record for different starting lineups. But we can’t complain. Every team is going to go through it. But the character of this group, you can judge. They’ve always bounced back after a tough game. That question can’t be answered until we get whole. And maybe we never get whole.”

The Mavs finished a seven-game homestand with a 5-2 record, with Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. playing some of the best basketball of their NBA careers to set the tone. The two losses garnered significant justified scrutiny, featuring losses to the strongly undermanned Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans. Still, the wins were highly impressive, including over the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and the full-strength Pelicans in a re-match.  

The sentiment raised by Irving, who averaged 34.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.0 assists during the homestand, expressed a desire to get healthy and find consistency as a group. After dealing with foot injuries off and on dating back to the middle of the preseason, he's found the rhythm many are accustomed to seeing from him. He's in prime position to elevate the group to impressive heights with Doncic. 

“I want to find that consistency,” Irving said. “I know my teammates and coaching staff, our management, want to find that consistency as well. That’s what the healthy challenge is every day, going out there and playing your best game and living with the results.”

Lively has been a significant boost to the Mavs as an interior presence on offense and defense in his rookie campaign. He has high confidence in the team, expressing his appreciation for how the group understands their roles and is focused on the collective by holding each other accountable. 

“I love this team,” Lively said. “We have a great chemistry, a great trust factor. If anybody’s lagging behind on the court, everybody’s picking them up. Everybody knows their role and plays their role perfectly.”

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Hardaway has played an essential role for the Mavs this season, regardless of whether he's slotting in his primary sixth-man spot or filling in as a starter. He averaged 21.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists during the homestand. He expressed how he has "no idea" how to dig deep into an evaluation due to the injuries but likes the value of having many players stepping into different roles if needed later. 

“The injuries – no idea,” said Tim Hardaway Jr. “But I know when it comes down to crunch time, a lot of guys on our team have been in these scenarios, so when the time comes around, they’ll be ready.”

The Mavs have 15 games remaining before reaching the NBA All-Star break.