Daniel

Gafford

Gafford has missed the Mavericks’ last three games with a sprained ankle. While Dwight Powell started Monday’s win over the Knicks, reserve Moussa Cissé was more productive. That will likely be the rotation on Thursday if Gafford remains out, but Cissé is also questionable due to an illness.

Gafford will be out for a third straight game, which means more minutes for Dwight Powell, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Moussa Cisse. None of that trio is particularly appealing for fantasy basketball purposes.

Gafford will miss a second straight game after initially being listed as doubtful. Dwight Powell should start once again, with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Moussa Cisse set to fill out the center minutes off the bench.

Gafford missed Thursday’s game after an early exit on Wednesday and is now expected to remain out once again. Dwight Powell should be in line for another start at center, with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Moussa Cisse filling out the backup minutes.

Gafford is one of several Dallas starters unavailable for Thursday’s game due to injury. The veteran center suffered the injury in Wednesday’s loss to the Nuggets, which forced him to exit the game early and not return. Dwight Powell is a likely candidate to fill in and log heavy minutes for the injured Gafford.

Gafford sprained his ankle in Wednesday night’s game against the Nuggets. Considering that’s the same ankle he hurt earlier in the season, it appears unlikely that he’ll play on Thursday. With Anthony Davis also out, that should be added minutes and usage for Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington, and Dwight Powell.

Gafford played 18 minutes before exiting Wednesday’s game with a sprained right ankle. That’s the same ankle that caused two separate multi-game absences earlier this season. Dwight Powell’s playing time has increased, as Moussa Cissé is on assignment with the Mavericks’ G League affiliate. Gafford finished with six points and 10 rebounds.

The Mavericks’ starting lineup on Wednesday will look different from the one that last took the floor. Gafford (ankle) is back in the lineup, which sends Dwight Powell back to the bench against a Nuggets team also dealing with key injuries. The Mavericks are currently in 12th place in the Western Conference standings. They’ll look to record a second straight win on Wednesday.

This is an update from a previous report from Charania that indicated that AD would likely undergo surgery and miss several months. Davis took to social media to say those reports were false, so it isn’t surprising that Charania provided an updated timeline. This will have Davis being re-evaluated in late February, which makes a trade far more likely. Until that happens (or doesn’t), Daniel Gafford should start at center.

Gafford missed Monday’s game, but he will return to take on Denver. With Anthony Davis (hand) expected to be out for an extended period of time, Gafford will start when he’s healthy. His return should push Dwight Powell to the bench.