Kyrie Irving will be available again for the Mavericks on Monday, and Dallas is keeping a close eye on how the rest of its rotation holds up as the schedule keeps moving.
After Sunday’s blowout win over Brooklyn, there was some uncertainty about whether Irving would suit up for the second night of a back-to-back. But head coach Dusty May said the plan has been to monitor him day by day.
“ From the beginning, it’s more or less been, ‘Play this game and let’s see where we are tomorrow,’ ” said head coach Dusty May. “ See where we are when we wake up, see how the body feels, talk to the medical staff about the scientific approach to it and we’ll just make our decision after that. It’s much more fluid on the second day of a back-to-back.”
Irving, who sat out all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL, is not listed on the injury report for Monday’s game, and May told reporters the nine-time All-Star will be active.
“ Very encouraging - his body has responded well,” May said (Twitter link via Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com).
Santi Aldama is also set to go against the Pacers. He played 15 minutes Sunday and made his season debut Friday after his return was delayed by right knee surgery. Aldama said the recovery took longer than he expected, and May said he’s one of several players whose minutes may shift from game to game.
“ But based on what the game needs, I think in nights where we’re struggling scoring the ball, we haven’t found any offensive rhythm,” May said, “ I think he’ll play more minutes than he would on the games that are maybe we’re clicking offensively, and our high-level defenders are engaged in the game and in flow offensively. So for a little while, we might be on a game-to-game, quarter-by-quarter approach to what these guys’ minutes are.
And that’s … it’s not easy for them. It’s not easy for us.
But as we’re still learning our team, it’s necessary.”
Morez Johnson Jr. won’t be part of that mix Monday. The 20-year-old big man, who had dealt with shin splints in training camp and recently said he was past that issue, suffered a left shin contusion on Sunday and has been ruled out.
May also explained why Caleb Martin has been starting on the wing lately. Dallas has tried a few different options there, but the staff believes Martin gives the group the best defensive edge, along with toughness and enough offense to keep the floor balanced.
“ We tinkered with a number of different guys in that spot,” May said in part. “ And we just felt like with our team, especially on nights Kyrie’s not playing, and we don’t know exactly when those are going to be.
We thought Caleb gives us the best chance to be elite defensively, and from a toughness standpoint, and we also felt like the other four guys are scoring at a high clip. That we needed someone to kind of give themselves up and connect the group by also still being a threat.”
Off the floor, Dallas also announced a new business move: New Balance, which sponsors Cooper Flagg, is now the team’s official footwear and apparel partner. The Mavericks said the deal is multiyear.
In Other News...
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Brooklyn never found much rhythm, especially after Noah Clowney ran into foul trouble and was out of the game in under eight minutes. Dallas also eased Max Christie back in after his injury return, a reminder that the Mavericks are still sorting out their pieces even as the results start to tilt their way. The bigger question now is how Flagg's growing role translates when the opposition is a little less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Backcourt Problem Just Got Harder To Ignore
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De Larrea has already missed six straight games, and the delay in his return only adds to the uncertainty around a group that was already thin. For a team trying to manage its guard minutes carefully, the longer this lingers the more the Mavericks have to rely on patchwork solutions, at least until there is clearer news on when he can get back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Guard Shakeup Is Creating An Early Rotation Battle
The Mavericks are still sorting out their backcourt mix after Max Christies recent shooting slump and the hip issue that has cut into his availability. In the meantime, Caleb Martin has slid into the starting shooting guard spot and given Dallas a steadier look on the wing, bringing defense and efficient shooting from deep while the coaching staff keeps testing different combinations early in the season.
Walter Clayton Jr. has also entered the conversation as a useful ball-moving option, giving the Mavericks another guard to consider as they evaluate roles and lineups. With Dusty May continuing to experiment, this has become more than a temporary patch job, it is an early rotation battle that could shape how the backcourt settles once the team gets deeper into the schedule. [Read more 🡒]