Kemba Walker

Dallas chose this game to rest Dončić, yes. But resting Dončić this season isn't a choice.

[Christian Wood](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/christian-wood-9N0XSWw21RX1pkVk/)’s terrific week and several other players in Monday’s mailbag column, and I’ll hold off sharing any further thoughts from this game for that reason. There are specific reasons related to the evolution of this sport that make it almost impossible for these stars to play 82 games, and the broad implementation of sports science and injury management has made it too foolish to ignore that. The Mavericks may have expected to lose, but couldn’t Dončić have made the difference in a one-point defeat? But this is a topic for a much deeper article than this one. She was attending school in Scotland but visiting friends and family in the city when Dončić played there, and she waited an hour after the game to get his autograph. His 32 points on 12-of-25 shooting made it clear why the team signed him, and his 42 minutes provided something closer to the Dončić and Dinwiddie replacement that we’ve all believed this team needed since the summer. [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/cavaliers/), days after a decisive defeat to the same team, one that caused me [to write about](https://theathletic.com/4004085/2022/12/15/mavericks-must-examine-present-future/) the need for this season’s entire outlook to be re-examined. But without Dončić or Dinwiddie, who are sometimes Dallas’ two worst defenders, the Mavericks dug deep for a great defensive performance that we’ve come to understand this team is capable of. We understand many of the reasons why the Mavericks are like this, of course, as ridiculous as the results this season can look and feel. And they took Cleveland to overtime despite [Luka Dončić](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/luka-doncic-gMyReUOesjAikT7S/), [Spencer Dinwiddie](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/spencer-dinwiddie-huzVN9MOnuJR3hwP/), [Josh Green](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/josh-green-tWFX9pjqC1g3ojtN/), [Maxi Kleber](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/maxi-kleber-yLF22QB0J9VK3S0v/) and [Dwight Powell](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/dwight-powell-BhTxjrEIUSrtsBS0/) all missing the game. This is a team that will look great some nights, worse on others, and overall isn’t talented enough for title contention. They’re as likely to [beat title contenders](https://theathletic.com/3951747/2022/11/30/luka-doncics-41-point-triple-double-leads-mavericks-over-warriors/) as they are to lose in [historically unprecedented fashion](https://theathletic.com/3917686/2022/11/21/mavericks-nuggets-lose-luka-doncic/).