Mavericks face impossible decision with youngster and time is running out

The Dallas Mavericks are finding ways to win despite countless injuries, and Friday was a big step in the right direction to getting healthy.

While Dallas' three-headed monster of Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford won't be reevaluated until March 6, P.J. Washington made his return from a three-game absence due to an ankle sprain and made his impact felt right away. He finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and one block while shooting 8-17 from the field, and his performance showed how deadly the Mavericks can be when Jason Kidd utilizes their small-ball units.

Dallas only played a true center for 12 minutes, as Moses Brown made his debut, and Washington and Kessler Edwards held down the five spot for the rest of the game. Edwards has been the starting five for Dallas over the last three games, and Kidd plans to continue to start him at the five until they get healthy.

Edwards has held his own as the starting five, as his defense, rebounding, and energy are always at a high, and he is playing more than anyone could have imagined. Two-way players, especially on contenders, typically don't get consistent minutes, but that has not been the story for Edwards.

Every game Kessler Edwards plays must be carefully chosen

After last night's win over New Orleans, Edwards has played in 27 games on the year. 27 games may not seem significant, as Dallas has played in 57 games this season, but he is quietly approaching a mark that Kidd and the Mavericks are aware of, and must be cautious about.

Players on two-way contracts can only be active for 50 regular season games, and Edwards has now been active for 37 games (he's played in 27 games, and was active for 10 games that he didn't play in). This means that the Mavericks can only have him active for 13 more games, meaning that his potential final game as a two-way player for Dallas would be on March 19 against the Indiana Pacers (if he were to play every game until then).

Edwards has become a crucial piece of the rotation recently, and Kidd must be smart about when playing him.

"We are now going to have to look ahead because he's gonna run out of games for us and so now we have to look at how we're going to spread this out with him," Kidd said.

While Edwards' situation with Dallas is definitely challenging considering how much he's playing and how quickly the 50-game mark is approaching for him, that may not be the end of the road for him.

After signing Brown to a 10-day deal earlier this week, the Mavs can't sign another player to a contract until around April 10. While April 10 is only a few days before the regular season ends, it would give Dallas the chance to sign Edwards to a veteran minimum contract so he can be on their playoff roster. Players on two-way deals can not play in the playoffs, but if Dallas signed Edwards to a standard deal, he could be active for playoff games.

This seems like the most likely possibility, as signing someone else would give them little to no time to learn Dallas' system and get ready for the playoffs. As of late, Edwards has proved that he deserves a standard deal, and depending on how many of Dallas' bigs return, he could have a significant role in the playoffs.

Kidd made it clear that they are going to "spread this out" with Edwards, and every game that he plays or doesn't play in will need to be strategically planned. The Mavericks are clawing for playoff position in every single game, and Edwards will be an important part of that for every game he is active.