Previewing the short-handed Mavericks' return to the court following a week-long All-Star break.
The Dallas Mavericks, 19-35 on the season and standing 12th in the West, seven games out of the last play-in spot, resume regular season play Friday with a trip to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With the concept of tanking becoming a hot-topic conversation throughout the league, Dallas is right in the thick of things, and in a way, they've been benefitted by injuries helping their cause of pursuing a high draft pick through losing. It's an "organic" approach, whether intentional or not.
It's led to a nine-game losing streak that comes into play on Friday, potentially dipping into double-digits. The Mavs have lost the most games in a row since the 1997-98 season when they lost 15 consecutively.
That following draft? They landed a guy in the first round named Dirk Nowitzki.
Unlike other teams, the Mavs have sat players because they've needed to be sat due to injuries, however severe. Kyrie Irving will not play the entire season, former Mav Anthony Davis - as expected - missed a large chunk of the year, and now star rookie Cooper Flagg is on the mend.
Flagg (foot sprain) has been ruled out for this visit to the Twin Cities, with head coach Jason Kidd giving him a "day-by-day" status.
His next opportunity may be Sunday at the league-worst Indiana Pacers, but Dallas might continue to take this injury-mindful route to tanking it's already deployed with Irving, where every minor grimace is considered, keeping the player out of further harms way in an effort not just to preserve bodies during a meaningless stretch of games, but to potentially increase draft lottery odds just that much more.
If last year was any indication, even 1.8 percent odds of landing a top-overall pick might be worth tanking for. Especially in this loaded draft class.
Before we get further into that, let's preview the Mavericks' return to action following a week-long break during All-Star festivities. Dallas' roster may be one of the most rested collectives as it did not have any participant during the showcase festivities in Los Angeles.
Mavs-Wolves - How to Watch, Betting Odds
WHO: Dallas Mavericks (19-35, 12th West) at Minnesota Timberwolves (34-22, 6th West)
WHERE: Target Center | Minneapolis, MN
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 20 | 6:30 p.m. CST
TV: ESPN; KFAA-29; WFAA (DFW)
RADIO: KEGL 97.1 FM The Eagle, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings
SPREAD: Timberwolves -13.5
TOTAL: 238.5
MONEYLINE: Timberwolves -700, Mavericks +500