The Dallas Mavericks take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday in the second-to-last game of the regular season.
The Mavericks have mostly avoided injuries in addition to Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) as of late. The exception has been Maxi Kleber (right ankle soreness) as he is set to miss his third consecutive game. He was originally listed as questionable but was ruled out closer to tipoff.
While it's not an injury, the Mavericks will be without Marquese Chriss (illness, non-COVID) against Portland. Dallas will be without both of their main backup center options. It seems as though they could turn to Boban Marjanovic at times, or continue to experiment with small ball combinations.
Kleber has been sidelined for the Mavericks' two previous games. There's value in being rested heading into the playoffs, but there is also an opportunity to take time off before the playoff opener. There is nearly a week between most teams' regular-season finale and the start of the playoffs.
The Mavericks need Kleber to find a rhythm in the 3-point shooting department in the playoffs. He's made just 21.4 percent on 3s over his previous 10 games. He's fallen to 32.5 percent on the season.
Against a potential matchup with the Utah Jazz or Denver Nuggets in the first round, it's important to have reliable shooting from deep at the 5 spot in certain lineups.
The defensive versatility Kleber brings to the floor is also key, but it's more challenging if he's struggling to convert wide-open shots created by Luka Doncic.
The Mavericks (50-30) need to win their final two games for the best chance at claiming the third seed in the Western Conference. Given the Trail Blazers' tanking priorities, several Mavs could have an early night off.
More must-reads: