The Dallas Mavericks are back on the road on Monday night as they'll face a Miami Heat team struggling to get out of the gates with Giannis Antetokounmpo, sitting with a 0-3 record.
As they look to get their first win, they're certainly hopeful that playing a Mavericks team without Cooper Flagg will get them on the track, but the Mavs may not be without Flagg after all.
Flagg landed on his shoulder against the Indiana Pacers on Friday after a hard foul in transition. The Mavericks said he had a mild shoulder sprain and would be re-evaluated next week, but they made that announcement on Saturday.
With the game turning to Monday, the Mavericks have already upgraded Flagg to questionable. I would still expect him to sit this game, but it's encouraging that he's already been upgraded.
Mavericks-Heat Injury Report
The other name that people were watching was Kyrie Irving. He sat out to rest in the game against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday as he fully works his way back from ACL surgery. He's looked confident in the knee, diving on the floor and fighting through contact, but they're still being cautious.
Irving should be fully active for this game, as he has no injury designation.
A new name added to this report is Naji Marshall, as he will be out due to an illness. He only played 20 minutes against the Spurs on Saturday, finishing with 10 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds as the starting point guard.
Dereck Lively II remains out as he recovers from foot surgery in December. Fans are looking forward to seeing him in this system, but no one is quite sure when that will be.
Tarik Biberovic is still waiting to make his NBA debut. He's dealing with heel bursitis and remains out.
Santi Aldama is still out. The Mavericks could use his offensive versatility in the frontcourt, but they're going to keep it cautious with injuries this early in the season.
Caleb Martin hasn't played this season due to a thumb sprain, though he may not be in the main rotation once he is healthy. He has been upgraded to doubtful, but will likely be ruled out.
For the Miami Heat, the only player on their injury report is Pelle Larsson, who will be available after dealing with a left finger sprain.
The Mavericks will be playing against Klay Thompson for the first time since his contract was bought out so that he could sign with the Heat.
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