Mavericks hit with surprise Cooper Flagg injury news before crucial stretch

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg is listed as questionable heading into tonight's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a back contusion. This was extremely unexpected, as there wasn't a notable moment from Saturday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers in which Flagg seemed to hurt his back, and this injury couldn't have come at a worse time.

Dallas plays the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday and the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, and they'll need Flagg in these contests if they want to stand a chance. The Mavericks could be resting Flagg against New Orleans so he can play in tomorrow's game against the Nuggets at home, and we should know more about what he is dealing with later this evening when Jason Kidd has a media availability.

These types of unexpected injuries aren't out of the ordinary in today's NBA, and if it were something serious, we likely would've heard something by now.

Why Cooper Flagg's questionable status matters against New Orleans

Flagg's name is hardly ever on the injury report, as he has only missed one game through the first two months of his NBA career, and tonight's game is quietly a bigger matchup than fans realize. New Orleans has been one of the worst teams in the NBA this year, but it has won four games in a row.

They are starting to play much better, and their rookie duo of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen rivals the Mavericks' duo of Flagg and Nembhard for one of the best rookie duos in the NBA. Dallas knows this well, as Fears and Queen combined for 41 points the last time that they played the Mavericks, and they've both had some strong performances during their recent winning streak as well.

This stretch includes wins over the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, and Zion Williamson is back in the lineup as well. New Orleans has won every game that Williamson has played in since he returned from a six-game absence last week, and he is not on the injury report for tonight's game against Dallas.

Flagg's inclusion on the injury report could be precautionary, or just to give him rest, and there is nothing to panic about just yet. He has been extremely durable through his first 28 games in the league, playing through a nagging shoulder injury and a thumb injury. Not much keeps him off the court, and he deserves his flowers for that.

The Mavericks' recent success is largely thanks to Flagg, and they could go as far as he goes this season. He is already one of the most valuable players on the roster, and they need him to be healthy as they look to add a W to the win column this evening .

They've lost two of their last three games after winning five of six games right before that, and Flagg's availability will be crucial heading into a stretch where five of six games are on the road.