The Dallas Mavericks, following a late-season collapse, need everything to go their way just so they could make the play-in tournament. Missing the play-in tournament entirely will be such a disastrous outcome for a team that traded for Kyrie Irving two months ago. What the Mavs must do to give themselves a chance at staying alive, however, is to win out, beginning with their Friday night tilt against the Chicago Bulls.
Alas, it seems like nothing is going the Mavs' way as of late. Despite being listed as probable to play not too long ago, the Mavs have now ruled Irving out of their contest against the Bulls due to a right foot injury, according to the Mavs PR Twitter account.
For Kyrie Irving to miss such a crucial contest, it definitely means that the Mavs may be looking to secure a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. Nabbing a top-10 pick should, at the very least, give the Mavs a blue-chip prospect to help owner Mark Cuban bolster the roster after his admission that he failed to foresee which direction the league would end up moving towards.
Moreover, slipping out of that top-10 would be disastrous, as they will have to relinquish their pick to the New York Knicks if it lands outside that range due to their trade for Kristaps Porzingis in 2019.
It's one thing if only Kyrie Irving were to miss the Mavs' contest against the Bulls. Irving has had to battle through lower-body injuries during his Mavs tenure, one of which came as a result of his physical battle with Dillon Brooks. However, beyond Irving, other crucial Mavs role players such as Christian Wood, Maxi Kleber, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Josh Green will also be taking the night off.
This hints at the Mavs' true sentiments regarding the Oklahoma City Thunder's chances of sealing their playoff fate with a win against the Memphis Grizzlies in their final game, as the Grizzlies could very well end up resting their entire core since they have nothing left to play for in the regular season.
Luka Doncic will have a lot on his plate on Friday night, and that's if he avoids being a late scratch.
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