Getty Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic
On paper, the Dallas Mavericks matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies Friday doesn’t have much meaning. Except it may for the Mavericks potentially, as they’re on the fringe of increasing their odds to land a top-five pick in the NBA draft lottery. Due to their trade during the 2018 NBA Draft which brought Luka Doncic to town, Dallas will send its first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks unless it’s in the top five, per RealGM.
While the Mavericks aren’t going to try to lose games (they’ve played their best players fairly consistently), it’s still worth noting. This especially stands true considering the fact that Doncic is currently dealing with a thigh injury and his status for Friday’s game is up in the air.
We’re going to take a look at the latest on Doncic, as well as a number of other names currently on the injury report for the Mavericks. Beyond that, we’ll break down their projected roster and starting lineup against the Grizzlies.
Latest on Luka Doncic & Mavericks Injury Report
According to the league’s official injury report, the Mavericks have listed Doncic as questionable for this game. He joins three players whose statuses are also up in the air and three other teammates who have already been ruled out.
UPDATE: Doncic, Brunson and Powell have all been ruled out.
- Luka Doncic (right thigh contusion):
QuestionableOut - Jalen Brunson (load management):
QuestionableOut - Dwight Powell (load management):
QuestionableOut - Dorian Finney-Smith (mouth laceration): Questionable
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (left tibia stress reaction): Out
- J.J. Barea (right Achilles surgery): Out
- Kristaps Porzingis (left knee surgery): Out
It seems that both Brunson and Powell could sit out considering they’re listed as questionable for “load management.” Finney-Smith’s status remains up in the air while resting Doncic could simply be a smart move in order to avoid any type of setback in a game with little meaning.
Although there’s been no official word, we’ll monitor the situation of the rookie guard’s injury status. At this point, it may be surprising to see Doncic suit up, but he’s played a number of times when previously listed as questionable.
Mavericks Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Grizzlies
*Notates expected starter
C: Maxi Kleber*, Salah Mejri, Dwight Powell
PF: Dirk Nowitzki*, Dorian Finney-Smith (Q)
SF: Justin Jackson*, Kostas Antetokounmpo
SG: Courtney Lee*, Ryan Broekhoff, Jalen Brunson
PG: Trey Burke*, Devin Harris, Daryl Macon, Luka Doncic
It’s tough to gauge how the Mavericks lineup will look if Doncic, Brunson and Powell are all ruled out. Doncic sat out two games ago and it was Trey Burke who did the heavy lifting, playing 29 minutes off the bench and scoring 16 points with six rebounds and five assists. If he’s unable to go, this will likely be similar to how things play out again, but Burke could potentially wind up starting, especially if Brunson sits.
If Powell is also out then it would lead to Maxi Kleber getting the nod inside, unless Dallas opts to go a bit bigger with Salah Mejri. Regardless, Kleber, Dirk Nowitzki, Justin Jackson, Courtney Lee, and Burke could all be in line for a decent number of minutes. Devin Harris also logged 16 minutes last game so he could wind up seeing action as well.
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