Dallas guard Kyrie Irving is facing a setback as he is expected to be sidelined for one to two weeks due to a bulging disc in his back. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd revealed that the timeline for Irving's return remains uncertain at this point.
Kidd refrained from providing detailed insights into the injury or a specific return date for Irving, stating, 'He's out, so there's nothing I can speculate or comment on. It's been reported he's out a week or two.' When pressed for a recovery timeline, Kidd mentioned the need for a 48-hour window to provide a more definitive answer.
Irving, the second-leading scorer for the Mavericks with an average of 25.6 points per game, has been shooting impressively at close to 50% from the field, with a 41.1% success rate from beyond the arc.
This injury to Irving adds to the challenges faced by the Dallas team, as their top scorer Luka Doncic is also sidelined for the sixth consecutive game due to a left calf strain. Doncic boasts averages of 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game.
With both Irving and Doncic unavailable, the Mavericks are missing a combined 52.4 points per game from their offensive lineup. Kidd emphasized the importance of a collective effort to compensate for the scoring deficit, stating, 'Being short-handed, it's the next-man-up mentality. We can't replace Luka or Ky, so it's going to take a team effort.'
Dallas currently holds a 20-15 record and is positioned in third place in the Southwest Division, trailing the division leaders, Houston, by three games.
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