The Dallas Mavericks suffered another huge blow when Kyrie Irving tore his ACL while playing against the Sacramento Kings. The point guard tried to drive to the rim when he fell hard after going against DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valančiūnas.
The Mavs have been unfortunate with injuries, especially since Luka Dončić’s shocking departure. Since then, GM Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd have faced harsh backlash from the Dallas fanbase.
Anthony Davis has also not played since making his debut after suffering an adductor strain. This meant that Kyrie was the only available superstar at Coach Kidd’s disposal and every minute he played counted.
Kyrie Irving Raises Questions Over His Tragic ACL Injury
Despite tearing his ACL, Irving pulled a page out of Kobe Bryant’s book and managed to drain the two free throws before leaving the court. Recently, his Instagram post sparked significant buzz, as the American shared an image of when he fell to the ground.
“Too many minutes??? Or did I get knocked off balance?”
Kyrie Irving on Instagram following his ACL injury.
(via @KyrieIrving /IG) pic.twitter.com/RIPmxdtY5s
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 8, 2025
He also captioned the story, “Too many minutes??? Or did I get knocked off balance?” The post certainly raises questions about the real cause behind his injury. The fact that he mentions his minutes is also interesting.
The superstar has played more than 1,800 games in the 2024-25 NBA season, which translates to 50 games played out of a possible 64 for the Mavs.
The numbers indicate that he has been playing frequently, and it is an impressive feat nonetheless. He has also been averaging 24.7 points and 4.6 assists per game this season, despite all the drama that has been going on in Dallas.
Well-known NBA analysts have also made some interesting comments. Rachel Nichols blamed Nico Harrison’s controversial trade move for Kyrie’s downfall, claiming that the Mavs ignored his injury history.
kyrie had played the most minutes in the league for about six weeks straight pic.twitter.com/rL3q6KQh5H
— tim cato (@tim_cato) March 4, 2025
Analysts and fans have also pointed out that the team may have overplayed Kyrie in AD’s absence. A recent stat indicates that the former Cavaliers star played the most minutes in the last six weeks, which would have certainly contributed to his fitness levels as well.
It definitely looked like Kyrie went off balance before going to the floor, but the fact that he has been relied on heavily cannot be overlooked as well.
This would bring back Luka’s memories for Mavs fans. Luka was the team’s only superstar in 2022 and 2023 and suffered the same fate as Kyrie did when he endured multiple injuries after being overplayed.
That said, both Kyrie’s and AD’s injuries clearly indicate that the Mavs’ playoff hopes look slim. Even Coach Kidd has admitted that they don’t have a No.1 option on the roster, which certainly means that their best bet right now would be to scramble to the play-in spot, at least.