The Dallas Mavericks are firmly out of postseason contention, but they still could host a must-watch game for one of the NBA's best teams.
For all intents and purposes, the Dallas Mavericks' season is over. At this point, all they're playing for is draft rights in an effort to land an elite young player next to Cooper Flagg.
For fans, embracing the tank and building through youth is a breath of fresh air, although watching the Maveicks play, especially without Cooper Flagg, is a bit of a chore. Most fans, even the most diehard MFFLers, are content to tune out, watch the Texas Rangers in spring training, and wait for the draft lottery.
However, on Friday, the Mavericks might find themselves at the center of the NBA world.
Jayson Tatum Could Make Season Debut vs. Mavericks
As the Mavericks struggle, the Boston Celtics are doing the opposite.
Dallas entered the season with playoff hopes, expecting Anthony Davis and Flagg to lead the team to at least the sixth seed. That proved to be wishful thinking. In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics were expected to be one of the worst teams in the league.
Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet all left in the offseason, and Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the postseason and was expected to miss the entire season.
Instead, Jaylen Brown has led Boston to the second-best record in the East, and Tatum is gearing up for an early return, hoping to help Boston make a deep playoff run and possibly push past the Detroit Pistons to make the NBA Finals.
Tatum's season debut could come as soon as Friday.
"Tatum, it feels like it's going to be Friday, Dallas," predicted Bill Simmons, a noted Celtics fan. "That's what all the signs are pointing to: Friday, Dallas."
Dallas will host Boston on Friday, with tipoff scheduled for 6:00 PM CST. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Regardless of whether Tatum plays or not, the Celtics will be heavy favorites. Boston beat them by ten points earlier in the season, with Brown going off for 33 and Payton Pritchard adding 26 off the bench.
It remains to be seen if Flagg will recover from his foot injury before then.
