Dallas is facing several questions right now, and will hope to find an answer on the road against New Orleans.
The Dallas Mavericks (22-18) are gasping for air after having their doors blown off for three quarters Tuesday night by the Denver Nuggets, a 118-99 loss. They’ll need to find a quick reset as they hit the road to face the downtrodden New Orleans Pelicans (9-32) on Wednesday. The Pelicans are also on the tail end of a back-to-back, having beaten the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, 119-113. Wednesday’s matchup is set for a 7:00 PM CT tip and can be watch locally on Channel 29 or MavsTV.
Both teams have been plowed by the injury bug, with the Mavericks missing Luka Doncic since Christmas (after previous injury challenges) while also recently being without Kyrie Irving, who returned against the Nuggets on Tuesday. The Pelicans just welcomed Zion Williamson back to the lineup but are still notably without Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones. The story of how these teams have navigated those setbacks is told mostly in their record though Dallas’ depth has truly been tested of late, going 3-8 since Doncic’s injury. The team is fighting for its life, so any game against a lower-tier team is a must win. Here is what we’ll be watching for in New Orleans.
Life without Lively
Mavericks starting center Dereck Lively II left Tuesday’s game in the first quarter with a right ankle sprain. The young big man is a key cog in Dallas’ success on both ends of the floor. On offense he’s expanded his ability as a distributor of late, notching four games of three or more assists (two games with six and eight respectively) in his six January starts.
Lively has missed eight games this season, and as of this writing it is unclear how serious this recent setback will be. How the Mavericks face what is likely a new challenge to this season is just another chapter in this tale.
Bench support
The Mavericks are fortunate to have greater depth this season than they’ve had at any point in Doncic’s tenure. But the challenges remain when Luka is absent, not just in replacing his creation or scoring, but in how to manage roles and the strain that imbalance places on rotations.
When the roster is healthy the Mavericks have ways to attack opponents in waves and from different angles. But when missing their superstar players like Spencer Dinwiddie are given greater responsibility, altering several spots in the rotation. This has largely left bench scoring burden to fall on Jaden Hardy or Quentin Grimes.
Hardy for his part has proved to be an all-or-nothing contributor. Either his shot is falling and you can (sort of) stomach the turnovers and defensive lapses, or his shot is not falling and all mistakes feel glaring. He had a nice seven game stretch to end 2024 and begin 2025, scoring 14 points per game while shooting 56-percent from three and and having essentially a 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. But it’s a roller coaster ride, leaving bench units often struggling when an off-ball shooter is now tasked with creating more for others. Grimes has been the ultimate glue guy this season. His game is more versatile and balanced on both ends of the floor. And while he is not a point guard, he’s managed to average 3.4 assists per game since Christmas.
In Irving’s return Tuesday, Jason Kidd opted to move Dinwiddie back to the bench and keep Naji Marshall’s defense and creation with the starters. But until Luka’s return, one player’s move in the rotation will continue to impact the roles of others.
Space on the perimeter
These teams haven’t faced each other since mid-November, a Mavericks emphatic 132-91 win against a completely hobbled Pelicans side. In that November contest Dallas shot an impressive 45-percent from three, mostly thanks to a dynamic shooting performance from the trio of Doncic, Irving, and Klay Thompson. That group combined to go 12-of-22 from deep…the rest of the squad just 2-of-9.
Since Luka’s absence the team has kept nearly even in terms of three-point-attempts per game — a number one might expect to be changed with Luka’s creation not at their disposal. But the team is hitting at a slightly lower rate, which may suggest a difference in quality of those looks and the above roles and responsibilities shifting.
The Mavericks have been in the back third of the league all season in three-point attempts per game, so it has not been the primary source of their success. But it still is a big ingredient that can quickly go hot or cold. Tuesday’s game, for example, the team started 1-of-8 from three, not hitting their first until nearly three minutes into the second quarter. It’s worth noting the team’s offensive-rating is nearly eight points lower since Luka’s Christmas Day injury than it was over the first two months of the season — any dip in production anywhere is something to monitor while Luka is out.