Mavericks already have a brewing P.J. Washington problem on their hands

The Dallas Mavericks have had a growing injury problem dating back to last season, and the latest victim to deal with the injury bug has been P.J. Washington. For the second time this season, Washington suffered an ankle sprain, which has officially held him out of five regular-season games.

While ankle sprains are an unlucky reality of professional basketball, Washington has increasingly missed more and more time over the last two seasons due to lower-body injuries. Dating back to last season, Washington missed a critical six games, and after making his return, he once again aggravated his ankle, only sidelining him for more time. He played a career-low 57 games last season, and the Mavs can't afford him to consistently be out of the lineup due to ankle injuries.

Fans may just be overreacting to minor injuries of this degree, but as ankle sprains continue to pile up on Washington's injury resume, he continues to miss more time. Washington has appeared in 29 of Dallas' 36 regular-season games, but could very well miss more time after suffering his second ankle sprain of the season.

Washington's numerous ankle sprains are beginning to sound alarm bells

Injuries are an unfortunate reality in professional sports, particularly in basketball. To make matters even worse, no franchise knows this more than the Mavericks after going through a cursed season due to injuries last year.

Not only are the Mavericks not strangers to injuries, but as season-ending injuries to Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum have consumed the team's injury report, a familiar name has continued to end up on the bench in street clothes due to ankle sprains: P.J. Washington.

The fan-favorite forward not only battled lower-body injuries last season, but on November 11, Washington suffered his first of three foot injuries already this season.

While Washington has yet to miss any real time outside of a handful of games here and there, after suffering his most recent ankle sprain against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, Washington could miss significant time if ankle injuries continue to persist. The Mavericks already have a laundry list of players missing serious time, and adding Washington to that list could be a realistic outcome if his lower-body mishaps continue to happen.

The Mavericks already have a lot on their plate when it comes to balancing a possible franchise-altering trade with Anthony Davis in the team's crosshairs and the reality of who the next general manager could be of the franchise. Adding Washington's injury concerns to that list is something no fan wishes to see, as it may cause a ripple effect of roster moves to happen.

There is no doubt that the severity of the ankle sprain determines how much time Washington could miss, but it may only be a matter of time before he misses a few weeks or a month when the Mavericks need him most. Not to mention having two ankle sprains before the halfway point of the regular season is never a good sign for a player who is as valuable to a team as Washington.

Whether or not the Mavericks view Washington as a long-term key to the franchise's future, keeping a player of his magnitude healthy should be at the top of priorities throughout a season. Washington offers a ton of value on the floor, and with his ankle problems growing more concerning, his value may drop before fans realize it.