After all, the Warriors are a team with the potential to compete for the championship, and the fact that Curry and Thompson can take a photo together also means that the strength of the Warriors will improve. At this point in time, the Mavericks have bad news, Doncic will most likely miss the game against the Warriors because of knee pain.
Without Doncic, will the Mavericks choose to lose on purpose?
In this regard, many fans have expressed their opinions and speculated about what the Mavericks have in mind.
The Mavericks have been quite good this season, sitting firmly in fifth place in the West, and only 0.5 wins away from the fourth-place Trail Blazers. The reason why the Mavericks' ranking has been able to maintain this position is indispensable to Doncic's assistance, after all, Doncic is the team's thigh, and he can get an average of 28+8+8 data performance per game.
Such a comprehensive statistical performance is definitely no less than James and Brother Alphabet, which shows how important Doncic is to the Mavericks. But in the game against the Timberwolves, Doncic left the court early because of knee pain, which made the Mavericks' back lineup have certain difficulties.
Judging from the current news, Doncic's injury is not very serious, but the team doctor advised him to rest, and to be on the safe side, the Mavericks will definitely let him rest for a while to avoid the injury getting worse. The Mavericks' next game opponents are not too strong, and even without Doncic's play, they are still capable of winning the game.
Doncic's rest should be spent on the game against the Warriors. If the Mavericks deliberately lose to them in the Warriors' game, then the Warriors will be able to stay in eighth place. The Mavericks' ranking will drop a little because of this, after all, without Doncic, there will definitely be a gap in their performance in the game.
But the Lone Ranger didn't do this to help the Warriors, but to better protect himself. Because if the Mavericks are fifth, they will have to play the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, which is quite a formidable opponent. If the Mavericks can slip down the rankings a bit and sit in sixth place, their opponent will be the Nuggets, which will be much less difficult.
The Mavericks don't want to face too strong opponents in the first round, and this ranking is the most beneficial for them. It's not easy for the Mavericks to control their rankings by deliberately losing. After all, no matter what the game, the players want to be able to give their all and strive for every victory, and this kind of sportsmanship is also very respectable.
Therefore, it is not an easy thing for the Mavericks to deliberately lose in the game, and it takes a lot of courage and price. However, judging from the current schedule of the Mavericks, they are fully capable of winning in other games with the team's efforts. For example, in the games against the Rockets, Hornets and Pistons, they must go all out and strive for every victory. In the game against the Warriors, the Mavericks can consciously give some of the main players a proper rest, so that the chances of victory will be much smaller.
In real life, it is not easy to openly admit that you deliberately lost in a game, and such a practice will also be condemned and blamed to a certain extent. But after all, sports competitions are all about winning and losing, and it is impossible for everyone to do their best, only in this way will the game be interesting and suspenseful.
It's a real challenge for the Mavericks to get more control over their rankings while maintaining their sportsmanship. I believe that the Mavericks will also have their own ideas and plans, and they will make some subtle arrangements to better control their rankings and be fully prepared for the playoffs.
For the Mavericks to make a difference in the playoffs, they won't just be determined by rankings. Whether it's with the Clippers or the Nuggets, they need consistency across the team, especially Doncic, who is one of the core of the team and whose performance in the playoffs is crucial.
If Doncic can play well in the playoffs and lead the team to victory after victory, then the Mavericks could make a difference no matter what opponent they face. I believe that the Mavericks are also very aware of this, so they will not take any opponent lightly in the current game, and every player on the team will go all out to win.
For Doncic's rest arrangement, the Mavericks will definitely make reasonable arrangements, after all, his physical condition has a very big impact on the team's prospects. No matter what time period it is, the Mavericks want Doncic to be in the best shape to play and give his best performance to the team.