NBA Notes: Mavericks, Injuries, Rockets, Jalen Green, Spurs

Mavericks

It didn’t take long for Kai Jones to find himself on the Dallas Mavericks’ growing injury list. After signing a two-way contract on Monday, Jones was ruled out of Tuesday night’s game at Milwaukee due to a quad strain, just an hour before tipoff.

Jones, who made an impressive debut for the Mavericks on Monday, came off the bench to score 21 points and grab eight rebounds in 34 minutes of action. His presence was seen as a welcome boost for the Mavericks’ frontcourt, which has been depleted by injuries to key players like Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively. All three are scheduled to be reevaluated on Thursday, but their returns remain uncertain.

Even without the injury, Jones’ role with Dallas was expected to be limited due to the constraints of his two-way contract. The contract’s 50-game limit is prorated, meaning Jones can only be active for 11 more games this season unless the Mavericks convert him to a standard contract. However, they cannot make that move until April 10 due to their hard cap situation.

Rockets

Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore and guard Reed Sheppard stepped up in a big way on Monday against Oklahoma City. wrote Kelly Iko of The Athletic. With five rotation players unavailable, Whitmore delivered a standout performance, posting 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three blocks.

Sheppard, also seizing the opportunity, contributed 25 points and five assists. Both players, who have been on the fringes of the Rockets’ rotation, embraced the chance to make an impact.

“It felt great,” Sheppard said. “Just getting the chance to be out there and play. It was a lot of fun getting a rhythm and flow, up and down. Being able to knock down some shots and get some assists. Really fun game. We didn’t win and that part sucks, but being out there with the guys and battling was fun.”

• Rockets guard Jalen Green has also shown notable improvement, particularly in his ball protection and playmaking. Green averaged 4.4 assists per game in February, marking his best one-month performance. He ranks in the 54th percentile for turnover percentage while sitting in the 99th percentile for usage rate.
• Rockets coach Ime Udoka noted that the improvement is part of Green’s ongoing development. “It’s a process that he improved on last year,” Udoka said. “But understanding — especially on a night where guys are missing — he’s going to be the focal point of a defense. Continue to work on it, improve in that area. It’s something we’ve really stressed to him and he’s gotten better at.”

Spurs

Meanwhile, doctors specializing in blood clots remain cautiously optimistic about the prognosis for Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. Mark Medina of Sportskeeda reported that experts believe Wembanyama could return to a normal playing schedule next season after a period of recovery.