Mavs Down Another Big as Daniel Gafford Sits vs. Nuggets
The Dallas Mavericks will be without center Daniel Gafford for Monday night’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets, as the big man continues to manage a nagging ankle injury. Gafford was listed as doubtful earlier in the day, and while he was present at morning shootaround at Ball Arena, the team officially ruled him out ahead of tipoff.
This marks Gafford’s second missed game in three days, a tough blow for a Mavericks squad already navigating a crowded injury report. He sat out Saturday’s win over the Clippers-the second night of a back-to-back-but did manage to suit up for Friday’s loss to the Lakers, logging 17 minutes with five points and four boards despite clearly not being at full strength.
Through 14 games this season, Gafford has carved out a key role anchoring Dallas’ interior defense. He’s averaged 9.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, giving the Mavericks a reliable rim protector and vertical lob threat. But with his ankle still bothering him, Dallas is once again forced to reshuffle its frontcourt rotation.
Frontcourt Depth Continues to Thin
With Gafford sidelined, the Mavericks are increasingly short on size and experience in the paint. Dereck Lively II remains out with swelling and discomfort in his right foot, meaning Dallas is down both of its primary centers. That’s a tough hand to play, especially against a Denver team that features Nikola Jokic-arguably the most skilled big man in the league-who’s listed as probable with a wrist issue.
Anthony Davis is expected to take over starting center duties in Gafford’s absence. Davis, who has been dealing with his own calf injury, was upgraded to probable and will be leaned on heavily to hold down the interior. The Mavericks are also turning to younger pieces and depth options like Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall to soak up minutes and provide a defensive presence.
Injury Report: Still Crowded, Still Uncertain
Beyond the frontcourt, the Mavericks’ injury report reads like a game of musical chairs. Kyrie Irving remains out following ACL surgery, and Dante Exum is still sidelined after undergoing knee surgery. That’s two key guards unavailable for the foreseeable future.
P.J. Washington is questionable with a right ankle sprain, and Brandon Williams is also questionable due to a left adductor strain. Klay Thompson, who played through fatigue to help lift Dallas past the Clippers on Saturday, missed shootaround but is listed as probable with illness.
All of this leaves Dallas in a bit of a scramble mode heading into Monday’s game. The team has shown flashes of resilience, but the lack of continuity-especially in the frontcourt-is making it difficult to build rhythm on either end of the floor.
Nuggets Rolling Behind Jokic
On the other side, Denver enters the night with momentum and relative health. The Nuggets have won four of their last six, including a 130-112 rout of the Suns in Phoenix.
Jokic was, unsurprisingly, the engine behind that win-flirting with a triple-double while orchestrating the offense with his usual blend of patience and precision. Even with a sore wrist, he’s expected to suit up.
For Dallas, this game marks the final stop on a three-game Western Conference road trip before returning home to face the Miami Heat on Wednesday. With the roster still in flux and the frontcourt depth stretched thin, the Mavericks will need a collective effort-and a little bit of grit-if they’re going to hang with a Nuggets squad that’s starting to find its stride.