The past month has been a struggle for the Dallas Mavericks. With Luka Doncic sidelined due to an injury since the Christmas Day matchup, the team has now lost 11 of their last 17 games. This has seen them drop to the 9th seed, meaning that losing any more games is not an option. With the next matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Mavs will have to give their best. In Doncic’s absence, it will be up to Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson to carry the team. Fortunately, amidst a string of injured players, the star duo shines as a ray of hope.
Neither Kyrie Irving nor Klay Thompson are present on ESPN’s Injury Report. This means that both players are in a healthy state, and available to take on Zion Williamson and Co. at the Smoothie King Center. This is great news as Kyrie Irving has had his fair share of injuries this season.
Since November, he has had trouble either in his shoulder, with an illness, or his back. Fortunately, Irving hasn’t missed a single game since mid-January, and there is no indication that he will do it again for the foreseeable future. As for Klay Thompson, the Mavericks’ new recruit had recently sustained a left ankle sprain. The same caused him to miss the matchups against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trouble with that ailment now seems to be a thing of the past for the 4x champ.
Dec 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) and Klay Thompson (31) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Unfortunately, Irving and Thompson’s positive health update does not mean that the Mavericks, as a whole, are free from their injury woes. With no change to his injury status, Luka Doncic is set to miss his 18th consecutive game. However, according to ‘The Smoking Cuban’ reporter Noah Weber, the Slovenian has been having some productive practice sessions, including one wherein he drilled a three over Spencer Dinwiddie just as they walked back to the locker room during the last game. This means that his return date is quite near.
Meanwhile, Maxi Kleber had recently sustained a broken foot injury during the recent Mavericks-Celtics game. As a result, he will now be “sidelined for an extended period.” As for Dereck Lively II, the condition of his right ankle stress fracture will not allow him to be re-evaluated for another four weeks. All of them hold the same status as Dante Exum (wrist), Dwight Powell (hip), and Naji Marshall (illness).
As for the New Orleans Pelicans, they only have 3 players listed on the Injury Report. Dejounte Murray has been dealing with a sprained right index finger for the last few days. After missing Saturday’s loss to the Hornets, he returned to compete against the Raptors. Despite dealing with a sprained right index finger and a right elbow issue, the player has been listed as probable for Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks.
Unfortunately, Brandon Ingram (ankle) and Herbert Jones (shoulder) are still not well enough to play in any games in the foreseeable future. With these updates, both teams will have to make adjustments to their starting lineups.
What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Mavericks-Pelicans game look like?
The starting lineup for the Mavericks-Pelicans game will look something like this:
POSITION
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
5TH
PG
Kyrie Irving
Spencer Dinwiddie
Jaden Hardy
Brandon Williams
Dante Exum (OUT)
SG
Klay Thompson
Dante Exum (OUT)
Jaden Hardy
Spencer Dinwiddie
Kyrie Irving
SF
Naji Marshall (OUT)
Quentin Grimes
Klay Thompson
Kessler Edwards
Dante Exum (OUT)
PF
P.J. Washington
Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Kessler Edwards
Naji Marshall (OUT)
Klay Thompson
C
Daniel Gafford
Dwight Powell (OUT)
Markieff Morris
Kylor Kelley
P.J. Washington
Similarly, the starting lineup for the New Orleans Pelicans will look like this:
POSITION
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
5TH
PG
Dejounte Murray (Probable)
Jose Alvarado
CJ McCollum
Brandon Boston
Jordan Hawkins
SG
CJ McCollum
Jordan Hawkins
Brandon Boston
Trey Murphy III
Dejounte Murray (Probable)
SF
Trey Murphy III
Javonte Green
Brandon Boston
Jamal Cain
Keion Brooks Jr.
PF
Zion Williamson
Javonte Green
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Trey Murphy III
Karlo Matkovic
C
Yves Missi
Daniel Theis
Karlo Matkovic
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Zion Williamson
The Dallas Mavericks or the New Orleans Pelicans? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming game? Let us know in the comments section below.
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