Spurs-Mavs injury report: Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving's status and more

The Spurs don't have any surprise injuries and will be a full go tonight, except for Tobias Harris and Jayden Quaintance. Cooper Flagg has been ruled out for the Mavericks after suffering a shoulder injury against the Pacers last night, but he's not the only player for Dallas on their report.

Mavericks injury report

Kyrie Irving - Questionable (Knee)
Zaccharie Risacher - Questionable (Hip)
Morez Johnson Jr. - Questionable (Shin)
Max Christie - Questionable (Shin)
Jett Howard - Doubtful (Calf)
Cooper Flagg - Out (Shoulder)
Dereck Lively II - Out (Foot)
Caleb Martin - Out (Thumb)
Santi Aldama - Out (Knee)
Tarik Biberovic - Out (Heel)

The Spurs get to use Dallas as a springboard

The Spurs beat the Mavs in all four of their meetings last season. Each victory came by a minimum of 12 points, and the largest margin happened in San Antonio's very first game, when Victor Wembanyama went absolutely ballistic to the tune of 40 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks.

SA's current opening stretch hasn't resembled anything close to what they did last October, but they can start getting right on Saturday night.

While the Silver and Black must respect every opponent by approaching the game with appropriate fear, as Gregg Popovich used to say, the Mavericks are a seriously health-compromised team that nobody expects to make the playoffs, even if they weren't running a hospital ward at American Airlines Center.

The Spurs are trying something new, and the three-guard lineup has complicated the three-guard lineup. Their offense comes in spurts, and their defense has been fleeting at times. Coming up with key stops has been a huge problem in the first two games, but it's only been two games, and they were against two teams I expect to finish in the top three of the Western Conference.

That doesn't mean I'm back on the side of starting this unit. What they were doing last year was working, and it didn't need to change, but Mitch Johnson is not going back right now, so our best hope is that they figure it all out. At the very least, they've earned the right to ask for patience.

San Antonio showed improvement from game one to game two, so it stands to reason that the upward trajectory will continue. Playing against this version of the Mavericks should give fans an even better look at what's possible when they put it all together.

The biggest thing to watch for from Dallas is whether or not Kyrie Irving plays. The former Duke star missed all four meetings with the Silver and Black in the 2025-26 campaign. At 34 years old, Irving is still a magician with the ball in his hands, and the Spurs have been victims of his greatness in the past.

Starting the season 0-3 would be a travesty, but anything is possible if that man gets on a heater. The Spurs must start making this thing work if they plan on accomplishing their long-term goals. They still have 80 games to homecourt, but they can't drop games they're supposed to win. The NBA is too good for that.

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