3 ways that the Dallas Mavericks can get back on track

2. Dallas Mavericks must get healthy

The injury bug has hit the Mavericks hard in 2023, and its latest victim was Luka Doncic with a left thigh strain. Although Doncic's MRI came back clean, per Adrian Wojnarowski, he is still going to miss some time. His thigh has been bothering him for over a week and his play reflects that.

""I could barely run.""

- Luka Doncic

Everything about Doncic's game was affected by his thigh injury. He was moving slowly, he couldn't push off his leg the same, and his shooting numbers were down.

Reggie Bullock missed one game after suffering a quad injury in the team's win over the Jazz on March 7. He is one of the team's best perimeter defenders, and Bullock was missed in the Mavericks' loss to the Pelicans on March 8. He's listed as probable for Saturday's game in Memphis, and the Mavericks will need him healthy for the rest of the season if they want to avoid the Play-In Tournament.

Maxi Kleber is also still recovering from a torn hamstring that he suffered in practice on December 13. Kleber has played in just three games since the All-Star break as the Mavericks are being careful with his recovery.

Kleber and Bullock are both key defensive players for Dallas, so having them healthy for the remainder of the season and the postseason is crucial.