Mavs: Playoff push or tank for the future? Making the decision on AD’s return

The Dallas Mavericks suffered a difficult loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, blowing an 11-point lead in the final minutes. This marks the Mavs' ninth loss in the last ten games and sixth straight, leaving any last hopes at a playoff push to dwindle.

Dallas has been dealing with an absurd amount of injuries on the roster, so much that it looked like they may have to forfeit some games. Those injuries include some of their star players, like Kyrie Irving, who’s out for the season with a torn ACL, Klay Thompson (illness), and Anthony Davis, who’s been out since his debut with an adductor strain.

Now the question for Dallas is whether it’s worth it to fight to make it to the playoffs or just tank the season. Fighting for a spot would mean putting Davis back in at some point soon, and that’s not looking like the best idea for anyone.

Anthony Davis: to return or not to return?

That is indeed the question. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports that AD himself is "steadfast in his determination to want to return this season“, despite some members of the Mavs' organization advising against it. MacMahon says he could return as early as next week.

Davis played for just 31 minutes in his debut with the Mavs on February 8 before he was injured, but he put up an impressive performance, scoring 26 points. Now, he’s been moved to Dallas' G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, while he recovers.

The Mavericks are at 33-37 and 11th in the Western Conference after their loss to the Pacers allowed the Phoenix Suns to overtake them for the No. 10 seed and the final Play-In spot. The Suns have the head-to-head tiebreaker after winning the series 3-1.

The Mavericks have 12 games left to play in the regular season. They will need to decide now whether they want to take the risk of returning injured players too soon in order to make a playoff push, or just going ahead and tanking the season in order to get the lottery in the draft.

If they choose the former, they’re going to need AD back on the court. Their next three games are against the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and New York Knicks. Although a few of those are winnable games, if AD isn’t 100% soon, it won’t be worth it to bring him back.

According to head coach Jason Kidd, Davis is “trending in the right place”, “had a positive experience in the practice”, will “continue to do things this week”, BUT... is “still some time away” from being able to play. Depending on what exactly Kidd means by “some time” might be the determining factor on whether or not they take the risk.

That risk being the potential for AD to re-injure himself by pushing too hard too fast in hopes of a deep playoff run. If he does get hurt again, he would put next season at risk as well.

The Mavericks will also need to decide whether to keep Brandon Williams or Kessler Edwards, both of whom are on two-way deals and running out of game eligibility. If the Mavs decide to make a playoff push, they’ll need to decide whether or not to sign Williams to a standard contract by April 10.

Even if the Mavs make the Play-In, they’ll have to win at least two games to be able to make the playoffs. If they decide to tank the rest of the season, they would give their injured players more time to get healthy and potentially earn a good draft pick for next year.

Related stories

NBA

Neither Curry nor Doncic: the NBA player paid most per game

NBA

Anthony Edwards raves about “incredible” rival

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.