3 reasons why Mavericks can't salvage their season after Kyrie Irving's season-ending injury
Since trading away Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks have garnered a lot of attention. About a month removed from the blockbuster deal, it looks like the franchise finds itself in the midst of a lost season.
Injuries have plagued the roster for weeks now, with another notable player going down Monday night. After being helped off the court against the Sacramento Kings, it has been revealed that Kyrie Irving suffered an ACL tear that will cause him to miss the rest of the 2025 campaign.
With 20 games to go in the regular season, the Mavericks find themselves in a tough situation. Their top player is done for the year, Anthony Davis has yet to return since getting injured in his debut, and Dallas has fallen all the way to 10th place in the Western Conference.
As things continue to look bleaker for the Mavs, here are a handful of reasons why it's time for them to raise the white flag this season.
Three reasons why the Dallas Mavericks can't salvage the 2024-25 season
1) Too many injuries to overcome
On a team with depth like the Mavericks, they might be able to remain competitive even when losing a top performer. That said, Dallas has reached a point where the blows to the roster are simply too much to overcome.
Kyrie Irving is the latest addition to an already long list of injuries for the Mavs. Other notable players sidelined include AD, Caleb Martin, Jaden Hardy, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively. With the majority of their rotation out, there's little chance of Dallas being able to stay afloat.
2) Father Time has caught up to Klay Thompson
Coming off their finals run last season, the Mavericks' big addition of the offseason was acquiring Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors. He's now the most notable name available in the lineup, but there are doubts he'll be able to lead the charge.
Between missing two seasons with injury and the mileage of a long career, Father Time has caught up to Thompson. He's played well for Dallas but is best optimized in a complementary role. With no stars around him garnering attention from the defense, Thompson's quality of shots is going to go way down.
As one of the Mavs' top veterans, Thompson will be called on to lead the group the rest of the way. But at this stage of his career, that might be too big of an ask for the former All-Star and champion.
3) Landing high 2025 draft pick seems unlikely
Given their laundry list of injuries and current standing in the West, tanking the rest of the season makes the most sense for the Mavericks. However, it might not be as successful as it was when they did it two years ago and landed Lively.
With the 2025 draft class having big expectations, there is a big race to the bottom going on in the NBA. Dallas can attempt to join the mix, but it would take a lot of luck to see a sizable jump.
Right now, Dallas finds themselves at the tail end of the lottery with the No. 13 pick. Securing another young prospect is about the only positive left that could come from this season. The current landscape of the league puts them at a disadvantage, as a handful of teams are already far below them in the loss column.