In the current NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks have played 49 games and have a record of 26-23. Throughout the season, they have faced challenges due to the absence of one of their key offensive players, Kyrie Irving. Irving, who is 31 years old, has been dealing with injuries on and off, resulting in him only playing in 27 games so far. He has missed a total of 22 games due to various injuries.
Despite these setbacks, head coach Jason Kidd remains optimistic about Irving’s return to the starting lineup for the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Irving has been sidelined for the past six games due to a sprained right thumb. When he is healthy, Irving, an eight-time all-star, has proven to be a valuable player for the Mavericks. However, his ability to stay on the court has been a major challenge this season. The team has six more games before the all-star break and hopes to have Irving available for all of them.
One aspect of Kyrie Irving’s career that often goes unnoticed is his tendency to be injury-prone, dating back to his college days. During his time at Duke, he only played 11 games due to a toe injury. Excluding the 2022 season, Irving has missed an average of 20 games per season due to injuries. This factor needs to be taken into account when evaluating his performance.
In the 2022-23 season, Irving requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets and was subsequently traded to the Dallas Mavericks. In exchange, the Mavericks sent back Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and three draft picks, including a 2023 1st-round pick. Throughout that season, Irving played a total of 60 games for both the Nets and the Mavericks. He played 40 games for Brooklyn before the trade and an additional 20 games for Dallas in the latter half of the season. In total, Irving missed 22 games during that season.
In the current 2023-24 season with the Mavericks, Irving has already missed 22 games, and the all-star break has not even arrived yet. He has been plagued by multiple injuries throughout the season. From October 11th to October 30th, Irving was sidelined for 12 consecutive games due to a right heel contusion. After returning, he played in 10 games before suffering a thumb injury that has kept him out of the last six games. It has undeniably been a challenging season for Irving, leading some to question his suitability for the Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks’ injury report for their game against the Philadelphia 76ers includes the following players: Kyrie Irving is listed as probable with a right thumb sprain, Luka Doncic is questionable with right ankle soreness, Maxi Kleber is questionable with a right small toe dislocation, Dante Exum is out with right knee bursitis, and Dereck Lively II is out with nasal issues.
Despite his injury struggles, Kyrie Irving has managed to play in 27 games for the Mavericks this season. He has been averaging 25.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. However, his biggest challenge has been staying healthy and available for the team. With a current record of 26-23, the Mavericks currently hold the 8th position in the Western Conference standings. They will be playing the 76ers on the road tonight, marking their first meeting of the season. Kyrie Irving is expected to play despite his thumb injury.