"Season can't get any worse" - Mavericks fans despair as Dereck Lively II joins Luka Doncic on injury reserve with foot fracture
The Dallas Mavericks were dealt another crushing blow this week when forward Dereck Lively II was diagnosed with a foot fracture, an injury expected to sideline him for 2-3 months.
On Wednesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Lively, who has been sidelined for over a week now, sustained what is described as a "small fracture" in his foot.
Given that the team is also without Luka Doncic, the situation puts the Mavericks in a tough spot as they look to make a push into the upper echelon of the Western Conference standings.
Currently, the team is in seventh place in the Western Conference with a record of 23-20, one game behind the sixth-place Lakers and half a game ahead of the Sacramento Kings.
In response to the news regarding Lively, Mavericks fans were quick to weigh in.
"Jesus Christ this season can’t get any worse. I think it’s time to seriously start considering looking ahead to next year," - One wrote.
"The Mavs have such bad injury luck!" another added.
Others weighed in on the news as well, sharing their thoughts on the situation, and what it means for the team as they look to make another deep postseason run following the success of the 2023-24 season.
"Mavs should just tank at this point don't rush luka for no reason, mavs are a** without him since his injury anyways," - One wrote.
"This season has been hell man," - Another added
Looking at the latest news surrounding Luka Doncic's return
Given that Dereck Lively II is expected to miss weeks of action, the big question is whether or not the Mavericks will be able to stay afloat with both he and Luka Doncic sidelined.
While the All-Star break will give the team a chance to recover without the Doncic-Lively duo missing games, the latest reports surrounding Doncic's status have failed to provide Mavs fans with the optimism they've been searching for.
On Tuesday, Jared Greenberg of TNT reported that, while Doncic, who last played on Christmas Day, has been re-evaluated after one month, the five-time All-Star is still weeks away from returning.
However, Greenberg also reported that Dallas is confident they'll have Doncic back on the floor before the All-Star Break. Between now and then, Doncic will miss 13 games.
Whether or not Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson can keep the team afloat between now and then, only time will tell.