Dallas Mavericks Injury Report (Dec. 11): Latest update on Luka Doncic and Grant Williams' availability
The Dallas Mavericks are sitting third in the NBA Western Conference standings and there are some uncertainties about Kyrie Irving's availability in their upcoming game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Both teams are set to clash this coming December 11 at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.
For those who want to catch the action, the television broadcast can be seen through Bally Sports-MEM and Bally Sports SW-DAL. NBA League Pass subscribers can enjoy choosing from both feeds and view it through an online live stream.
Entering this game, the Dallas Mavericks are on back-to-back wins against the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers. According to the team's injury report, there are four players on their list.
Kyrie Irving and Grant Williams are ruled out for this upcoming game against the Grizzlies. Maxi Kleber is set to return soon but not yet on this game while Josh Green should be available by the end of the month.
Other than that, Luka Doncic and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks are available to play against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Athletic trainer and consultant sees Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving has a questionable recovery timeline
Mavs starting guard Kyrie Irving suffered a scary leg injury, which was later diagnosed as a heel contusion. The injury happened when Dwight Powell accidentally fell on Irving's foot.
According to DallasBasketball.com consultant and certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, heel contusions might not be as severe as initially feared.
"The term 'heel contusion' is a bit vague and could be a myriad of things," Stotts said. "The fact that we have heard [Kyrie] is in 'significant pain' makes me think it will be longer than the average time associated with general heel contusions (around two games). Worst case scenario would be a significant bone injury, but that doesn’t seem to be happening here."
Stotts indicated that Kyrie Irving's reported "significant pain" suggests a recovery period longer than the usual two games for general heel contusions. While he dismissed the worst-case scenario of a serious bone injury, Stotts implied that Irving might be absent against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 17 games played in the 2023-24 season, Kyrie Irving has averaged 23.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds.
The Dallas Mavericks, currently holding a 13-8 record will be relieved that Irving's injury won't be season-ending. The team's focus will now shift to his eventual return and complete recovery before the playoffs.