DALLAS — When the Dallas Mavericks face off against the Detroit Pistons in their preseason finale on Friday, they will do so without various key players available due to injuries.
Luka Doncic was already ruled out for the matchup against the Pistons as he recovers from a mild left calf strain. He is still being evaluated to determine his possible status for the Oct. 25 season opener against the San Antonio Spurs. However, Kyrie Irving, who recently dealt with a groin injury, has been a full participant in practice twice since the team's return from Madrid.
"Kyrie Irving participated in today's whole practice, and he was great," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said after Tuesday's practice. "Luka Doncic is still being evaluated, so we'll see how he feels as the week goes on."
The Mavs experienced new injuries since returning from abroad, adding Jaden Hardy and Josh Green to the list. Hardy injured his ankle during Tuesday's practice and received treatment, but it remains to be seen what his status will be. Green fell on his back on Monday and was sidelined for Tuesday's practice.
"Jaden Hardy sprained his ankle today, so he's getting treatment, so we'll see how he feels," Kidd said after Tuesday's practice. "Josh Green hurt himself yesterday; he fell on his back and was out today. We'll see how he feels, and hopefully, he practices on Thursday."
There are still various questions the Mavs must resolve before entering the regular season, including who will start on the wing. Green being sidelined does not help in making such a determination. The coaching staff still plans to experiment with various combinations, with injuries creating opportunities for others.
"We're going to continue to look at some different combinations because of health, and we'll see which one we'll use for opening night," Kidd said after Monday's practice. "We probably look at Friday, rolling out some different guys starting, and we'll go from there."
While potentially not having Green or Hardy available to play on Friday, the Mavs view the matchup against the Pistons as a chance to see other players handle a greater responsibility.
"The injury just gives someone else an opportunity if Josh can't play on Friday," Kidd said after Tuesday's practice. "For us as coaches, it allows us to see someone in that position to see how they handle that."
The Mavs face a limited amount of time before they can get key players healthy before having to face the Spurs to begin the regular season.
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