The 2024-25 NBA season hasn’t been kind to the Dallas Mavericks following their 2024 NBA Finals run. Injuries have derailed their success, with the most prominent being toward superstar Luka Doncic. The five-time All-Star has missed the last 13 games for Dallas. In that stretch, they are 4-9 and have dropped to a Play-In team. Former NBA player Chandler Parsons believes the Mavericks desperately need Doncic to return, claiming they are not a good team without him.
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Parsons took to FanDuel TV’s Run It Back to share his opinion on the Mavericks’ ongoing struggles. The dire situation has reached it’s peak following the Mavs’ 110-105 loss to the 13th seeded Hornets. He didn’t hesitate to state the urgency the team needs to begin playing with. If Doncic remains out for an extended period, Dallas may find themselves in a very undesirable position. He said,
“It’s like taking Nikola Jokic off the Nuggets. The Mavericks are drastically worse; they are not that good of a team without Luka Doncic.”
“It’s like taking Nikola Jokic off the Nuggets. The Mavericks are drastically worse; they are not that good of a team without Luka Doncic.”
Chandler Parsons did NOT hold back on the Mavs ️
(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/jEX6XBTT7V
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 21, 2025
Parsons compared Doncic’s impact on the Mavericks to three-time MVP Nikola Jokic’s on the Nuggets. The Slovenian guard doesn’t hold the same ridiculous net rating as the Serbian big man (+27.1) but is still among the NBA’s best. Doncic currently holds a net rating of +12.2 when he is on the court.
Many believed that the Mavericks had a legitimate chance to repeat as Western Conference champions. Parsons was among those with lofty expectations for Dallas. However, until the team is healthy, he doesn’t have any high hopes for the Mavs going forward.
Dallas needs to be healthy
Following the trades to acquire P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, the Mavericks were an amazing team when healthy. They were able to string together numerous flashes of greatness en route to an NBA Finals berth. However, they won’t be able to find that same level of success if they continue to deal with injuries.
The Western Conference is extremely deep this season. The Play-In teams include the Mavericks, Kings, Timberwolves and Suns. All these teams are above .500, with the Warriors on the outside looking in as well. Dallas can’t afford to fall further in the standings or else they’ll put themselves in a difficult situation.
