The Dallas Mavericks are already without Luka Doncic for a few more weeks due to a calf strain, now comes this news and it’s not good:
Kyrie Irving will be out 1-2 weeks — at least — reports Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. There is no return date targeted yet, the team is waiting to see how treatment goes, according to the report, although the 1-2 week timeline may be optimistic based on history.
Re: Kyrie Irving: Disc-issues can be difficult to navigate and are often accompanied by a lengthy recovery. The average time lost for in-season disc herniations that do not require surgery is 28.7 days (~12 games). (1/2)
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) January 6, 2025
There is no word of when or how Irving suffered the injury.
Irving has missed two of the last three Mavericks games, leaving the team without both of its primary shot creators, and Dallas lost both of those games by double digits. Irving has had a strong season, averaging 24.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists a game while shooting a career-best 44.1% on 3-pointers. He has thrived in Dallas — he’s a big reason the team made it to the NBA Finals a season ago — and has to be in consideration to be a West All-Star this season (that’s a crowded field).
In the next two weeks, the Mavericks will face several West teams also in the playoff mix — the Grizzlies, Lakers, Nuggets twice, and Thunder. If the Mavericks’ four-game losing streak extends, they could fall quickly in the West (they currently sit sixth in the conference at 20-15).
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