Mavericks’ stars sitting for Saturday’s game

The Warriors have effectively forfeited multiple road games this year when they rested their best players. Now they have a chance to benefit from another team’s injuries and resting.

Doncic bruised his heel during the Mavericks’ win over the New Orleans Pelicans Thursday night. He crashed into Jonas Valanciunas after Brandon Ingram blocked his dunk attempt, and exited the game for good in the third quarter.

The Mavericks will also be without their second-best scorer, Christian Wood, who is still working his way back from a fractured thumb, and Davis Bertans, who has a strained calf. Oh, and Maxi Kleber’s hamstring tear still hasn’t healed, and Spencer Dinwiddie is questionable.

Dinwiddie’s potential absence has to be disappointing for his fellow cryptocurrency enthusiasts on the Warriors. They had to be looking forward to chatting about their Bitcoin losses and how much they hate Sam Bankman-Fried.

This should improve the Warriors’ chances, but we thought that when they played the Phoenix Suns with Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul out and look what happened. If Dorian Finney-Smith has a 40-point game in him, we will see it Saturday night. Still, the Warriors should be cautiously optimistic about the matchup.

What’s interesting is the sheer amount of players being held out hours after Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. We’re sure the Mavericks are being just being careful about their banged-up veterans, but if they really were putting together a Kyrie trade package, then Wood, Bertans, and Dinwiddie would be some of the likeliest players to be dealt. Holding out potential trade components is the smart move!

Holding out veterans on the road is usually a Steve Kerr move, but now Jason Kidd will be the one infuriating the league and its broadcast partners by possibly playing bench mascot Theo Pinson in a nationally-televised game. He might not be able to sit on the bench and pretend to be a Warriors player again!

Our prediction? The Warriors handle the Mavericks easily, and Mark Cuban starts regretting the max contract he gives Kyrie by Thanksgiving.