Grizzlies’ Brooks OUT; How it Affects Luka’s Mavs in Standings
The Memphis Grizzlies will be without Dillon Brooks potentially through the NBA All-Star Break after experiencing an ankle injury on Saturday, and it could potentially affect the Dallas Mavericks' position in the Western Conference standings over the next couple of weeks.
Brooks was trying to evade a defender in transition but got tangled up—causing him to crash to the floor. He was unable to shoot the two fouls that came from the shooting foul call and was ruled inedible to return to action as a result.
The latest details from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski suggested Brooks will be sidelined for at least three to five weeks, which could end up pushing his return past the All-Star break.
Brooks is having a strong season with averages of 18.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He is playing on a three-year, $35 million contract that has him signed through 2023.
The Grizzlies currently find themselves ranked fourth in the Western Conference standings with a 27-14 record. The Dallas Mavericks trail by five games in the standings and have two matchups against Memphis over the next few weeks.
Memphis still has Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane to lead the team while Brooks remains sidelined. The Grizzlies have managed without key players at a high-level before, as they went 10-2 in 12 games played while Morant was out with an ankle injury earlier this season..
During matchups with the Grizzlies, Doncic typically ends up getting guarded by Brooks. The physicality and persistence that Brooks plays with on-ball defense can pose some challenges for a scorer like Doncic out on the perimeter.
The Mavs will play the Grizzlies two times in the next two weeks. Currently, fifth-seeded Dallas is just five games back of fourth-seeded Memphis nearly halfway though the season.
If the Dallas Mavericks can continue to win at a high-level, taking care of business against the Memphis Grizzlies in these upcoming head-to-head matchups would help make up ground in the Western Conference standings.
Without Brooks, it will still be a real challenge to get the job done... but things might be slightly easier for Doncic individually.
