The Dallas Mavericks were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers by a final score of 127-110 on Wednesday. During the game, Kyrie Irving suffered an injury scare after a collision with his former teammate LeBron James. Fortunately, Irving returned to the game after the incident. Jason Kidd said Irving was also able to practice on Friday, a big update following the previous injury scare.

Dante Exum, who has been dealing with an injury of his own, did everything that was non-contact during Friday's practice as well. Injuries have been far too common for this Dallas team but they are beginning to get healthy.

When asked to evaluate the Mavs so far during the 2023-24 season, Kidd said he believes in Dallas' potential but understands that health will be of the utmost importance moving forward.

“I think… we have the potential to be a really good team,” Kidd said. “Being healthy is going to be key… The sooner we can get healthy the better off we will be.”

Kyrie Irving trending in positive direction after LeBron James collision

The Mavs did not play their best game against the Lakers on Wednesday. But Dallas is just happy that Irving didn't suffer a serious injury following the collision with LeBron.

Irving has been playing at an elite level in recent action. His production declined versus the Lakers, but Irving is still performing at an All-Star level overall. The Mavericks guard is averaging 25.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game as of this story's writing. He's also shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 41 percent from deep.

Irving's leadership has also been on full display this season. He's emerged as the perfect co-star for Luka Doncic. Kyrie Irving and Doncic can lead the Mavs to a deep playoff run as long as they stay healthy.

Speaking of the playoffs, one team that projects to be an NBA Finals contender is the Boston Celtics. Dallas will host Boston on Monday, and Kidd addressed the upcoming clash after Friday's practice.

“I think they're one of the best teams in the league,” Kidd said. “They are well-coached… (Jayson) Tatum and (Jaylen) Brown being able to score, (Kristaps) Porzingis, you look at (Derrick) White, he's playing at a high level. They are a very talented team so it's going to be a great test for us on Monday.”

The Celtics currently have the best record in the NBA. Boston will present a major challenge for the Mavs. Earning a victory against the NBA's best team would be an impressive feat.

With Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic setting the tone, the Mavericks' offense should be able to keep them in the game. They will need to step up on the defensive end of the floor, and Dallas cannot allow consistent second-chance opportunities on the boards for Boston.

Monday's game should be an exciting affair.