Mavericks' 'silver lining' ahead of trade deadline clearly reveals their approach

The Dallas Mavericks have a different attitude going into the trade deadline than in past years.

With multiple injuries entering their matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, the performance showed that the injuries to the team cannot be sustained much longer as the team is now approaching .500 territory.

With the news that Luka Doncic will hopefully be returning before the All-Star break, it's great news for the Mavs to think about a more clear timeline for Doncic's return.

Now, it's general manager Nico Harrison who's approaching the injuries with a more mature approach by looking at the bigger picture in the end.

Harrison offers optimism for bigger picture amid continuous injury woes

In the "Mavs Step Back" podcast with Dalton Trigg and Drew Johnson, Harrison talks about the injuries (subscription required) and how they're affecting the team. Harrison's optimistic approach is to look ahead to when the bigger games are going to matter.

"Obviously it's been frustrating," Harrison told Trigg and podcast partner Drew Johnson of the injuries. "We really do like our team. I'm an optimistic person, so I try to look at the silver lining. It's better to be injured now and not be injured in the playoffs. So if you're injured now, chances are you're going to be healthy when it really matters. [That's] kind of what we're hanging our hat on."

As much as it hurts the team that Doncic is out for now, it'll feel better in the long run when the Mavericks can go on a potential big run following the All-Star break. The Mavs have a proven reputation to be golden after the break by going on a strong tear in recent seasons. The Mavericks had a 17-6 record following the break in the 2021-22 season, and the team had built a presence that led them to the Western Conference Finals.

The Mavericks might have to go on a run like this again, but it helps that they have a history of hitting the gas pedal whenever they've needed to. The Mavs were one of the hottest teams in the NBA before Doncic went down, and with players only expected to return in the season, the team can still get some momentum to try and stay in the playoff race.

This has been one of the weirdest years in Mavericks history, from injuries to suspensions to illnesses plaguing the locker room, it only seems like the basketball gods are conspiring against the Mavericks. Going back to Harrison's quote, it might be all worth it in the end that the Mavericks are going through such adversity. He isn't going to make a trade just because the team is injured, and if they can get healthy soon, the sky is the limit for Dallas.