With the Dallas Mavericks losing 578547678968 players due to COVID-19 protocols, including star Luka Doncic, the team is calling for additional reinforcements. It has been a difficult season for the Mavericks, to say the least, with various setbacks throwing a wrench into their campaign.
The Mavericks now have five guys sidelined due to COVID-19 guidelines, namely Doncic, Trey Burke, Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber, and Josh Green. Apart from Green, all of them are part of the rotation of new coach Jason Kidd.
In hopes of filling in the void, the Mavericks are set to sign veteran guard Brandon Knight and unheralded Carlik Jones under the hardship clause. Of the two, Knight, who's plying his trade in the NBA G League, is clearly the more familiar player. He's already played nine seasons in the NBA and was once touted as one of the league's rising stars after getting selected as the no. 8 overall pick in 2011.
Sadly, his career hasn't exactly panned out. Some fans even remember Knight more because of his unlucky moments in the NBA, including getting destroyed by DeAndre Jordan, getting his ankles broken by Kyrie Irving, and missing a wide-open layup that could've won the game for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Getting even unluckier is the last thing the Mavericks need these days. They have dropped to 15-15, with Kristaps Porzingis still dealing with inconsistency. Superstitious fans might think that getting Knight could transfer his historically bad juju to the team.
Heading into the season, the Mavericks had a bright outlook despite blowing a 2-0 lead in the first round of the last NBA Playoffs. Doncic and Porzingis appeared to have patched up the awkwardness and Kidd confidently offered a defensive-oriented system. But so far, not so good.
To be clear, Knight is no dud. At 30 years old, he can still be very serviceable for the Mavericks. Plus, if there's one thing we've learned through the years, any NBA player, when given ample minutes, can produce numbers.
The unfortunate situation of Luka Doncic and the rest of the Mavericks could be a blessing for Brandon Knight, as he hopes to permanently return to the NBA. If that happens, his string of bad luck could come to an end.