The Dallas Mavericks are in a slump. The storied franchise suffered its third straight loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, pushing its record to 2-6. Although head coach Jason Kidd finally decided to give D’Angelo Russell a chance at the starting point guard spot, which allowed Cooper Flagg to assume his regular small forward position, it did not help as one key player continued to stay out.

Dallas looked out of rhythm without their star forward, Anthony Davis, who missed his third straight game. Now, as they travel to Tennessee to face a banged-up Memphis Grizzlies squad, the question looms large if AD will finally return to the starting lineup for tonight’s NBA Cup clash.

Is Anthony Davis playing tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies?

Well, maybe. The veteran forward has missed three straight games due to a calf strain and is questionable for tonight’s clash. The Mavs are in dire need of the 32-year-old’s presence against the Grizzlies. However, it won’t be until close to tip-off that we get to know whether he’ll suit up or not. His presence matters even more because Anthony Davis has been the focal point for Dallas.

The six-foot-ten forward has been averaging 20.8 points along with 10.2 rebounds while shooting 52.0 percent from the field, leading the Mavs’ scoring average. As expected, without his production, Dallas has looked lackluster on both ends of the floor as the second-best scorer, P.J. Washington at 15.8, is behind 5 points! However, it looks like they’ll need to get through one more night without Davis.

But who’ll replace him if he doesn’t play? By the looks of it, P.J. Washington, who’ll take AD’s place once again if he doesn’t suit up. While the 27-year-old has been playing great this season, Washington hasn’t had the same impact as his teammate. Nonetheless, he’s the best Dallas has got to offer right now, as they have a few more stars on their injury list.

Grizzlies vs Dallas Mavericks injury reports before tonight’s NBA Cup game

Anthony Davis isn’t the only guy that the Dallas Mavericks could miss tonight. Alongside him, there are several other big names on the sidelines for the franchise, including Kyrie Irving, who is out for the rest of the season at the moment with an ACL injury. Also, Dereck Lively II is ruled out for this game with a knee injury.

However, according to head coach Jason Kidd, the Mavs center is back to doing on-court work and should be back by next week, which is great news for the team. More so, because in the past few seasons, the 21-year-old has become a vital part of the roster. Lastly, Dallas will also be without their guard Dante Exum, who is struggling with a knee injury.

For the Grizzlies, the injury report is worse than the Mas. They are missing several of their key players due to injuries. However, the most notable of them all is probably Zach Edey. The second-year big man is suffering from an ankle injury, so he’ll remain on the sidelines tonight.

In his rookie year, Edey showed great promise, emerging as a solid starting option for Memphis. The 23-year-old averaged 9.2 points along with 8.3 rebounds, as he became the team’s go-to big man. However, everyone is still awaiting his debut this season. In the meantime, the Grizzlies will also be without backup point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and Ty Jerome.

While Pippen Jr. will undergo a procedure for a big toe injury, Jerome is out with a calf injury and will be re-evaluated in about four weeks. As a result of this, both of them will miss tonight’s game. Lastly, Memphis will also be without Brandon Clarke, who is out with a knee synovitis injury. With all these injuries on both rosters, it’s hard not to think about the changes in their lineups.

Grizzlies vs Mavericks predicted lineups

With both teams struggling with injuries, we can expect a few tweaks in their starting five. In the meantime, here’s how we think they would start.

So, here’s how the Dallas Mavericks could start:

And, here’s how the Memphis Grizzlies could start:

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When and where to watch Grizzlies vs Mavericks

Game preview and Prediction

Well, both teams enter this NBA Cup game with a rough start to the season. While the Dallas Mavericks are 2-6 so far, the Memphis Grizzlies are 3-6. So, there’s not much to separate the two. More so, both teams are struggling with injuries. However, given the current scenario, it seems like the Grizzlies might just hold their ground tonight, despite all the adversities both on and off the court, as we all eagerly await tip-off.