Dallas Mavericks Should “Shut Everybody Down” After Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis’ Injury, Suggests Kendrick Perkins

No matter your NBA allegiance, you have to feel for fans of the Dallas Mavericks. The bad news has been coming in waves for Mavs fans for over a month now, with the devastating shock of the Luka Doncic trade and multiple injuries to nearly the entire frontcourt. Even Anthony Davis, the main piece that came back in the Luka deal, went down with an injury of his own after one half of basketball, a development that made an already bad trade look so much worse.

Through all the bad news and all the injuries, the Mavs have been fighting for every inch, and even today, they’re still hanging on to the 10th seed with a 32-30 record. Tenth in the West gives them a shot to make the postseason through the play-in tournament.

Last night’s bad news might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, though, as Kyrie Irving left the game against the Kings with an injury.

Kyrie hyperextended his knee in the first quarter of what would end up being a 122-98 loss. He remained in to shoot the free throws, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to be back anytime soon. He now joins AD, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington Jr., and Caleb Martin on the injured list.

Kendrick Perkins appeared on Get Up this morning, and he didn’t mince words about what the Mavericks should do with 20 games remaining. “If I’m the Dallas Mavericks, I shut everybody down…If you don’t have a healthy Anthony Davis and a healthy Kyrie Irving, there’s no reason to try to finish the season on a strong level.”

"This season is over for the Dallas Mavericks."

—@KendrickPerkins on the injuries to Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving pic.twitter.com/ii7cdzT11a

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 4, 2025

Perkins believes the Mavericks cannot compete in the Western Conference without those two guys, and it’s hard to see the fault in his logic.

The Mavericks would be wise to shut it down and play for next year

The Mavs have been in this position before. Just two years ago, they were on the outer fringes of the playoff race but decided not to go for a play-in spot. This move was derided around the league, but it worked out in the end, as Dallas ended up being able to draft Lively with their improved selection.

Given how many injuries the Mavs are dealing with, nobody would blame them this time if they kept their best players on ice.

There’s also the matter of Cooper Flagg and a very strong draft class to think about, so if the Mavs can get into the lottery, even with long odds, it’s worth a shot. Perkins is right to tell them to shut it down.

Mavericks fans have been through a lot throughout the team’s history, but the events of this season are even worse than the years when the team was a perennial cellar dweller. The fans would likely be grateful to put this season to bed and wait until next year.