The Dallas Mavericks fans are God’s strongest soldiers. The amount of emotional punishment they’ve endured this season will make anyone call for deleting the season already. As if the Luka Doncic break-up wasn’t enough, the cruel NBA fate has now claimed Kyrie Irving. Monday’s game against the Kings was the final nail in the Mavs’ hypothetical coffin.

The incident occurred with under three minutes remaining in the opening quarter. After Kyrie made a drive to the basket, he fell awkwardly on his knee and was visibly in pain as he held his knee near his chest, rolling on the floor. That was enough for the experts to call for drastic measures against Anthony Davis.

On Get Up, when Kendrick Perkins was asked about the incident, he hoped it was just a knee strain and that Kyrie would heal from it, as he is “built different.” The analyst then shifted the focus to the impact it would have on the team. “Here’s the real deal: the Dallas Mavericks are done, and they should be done. Even if it is a left knee sprain, if I’m the Mavs, with only a month and a half left in the season, shut AD down, shut Kyrie Irving down, and get them ready for next season,” Perkins said.

The former NBA star believes shutting down Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis for the rest of the season would make more sense for the Mavericks, as there’s nothing left for them to accomplish this season. With these key players already injured, the team lacks depth and would struggle to survive. Perkins argues that the focus should be on allowing them to rest and heal, as there is a bigger goal ahead. “I said this when they made the trade for Anthony Davis and traded away their international superstar, Luka Doncic, this Dallas Mavericks team has a three-year window, and they have to deliver a championship… It’s not worth it to risk it this season. Get healthy, come back next season, and start off strong with all healthy bodies.” he added.

And it’s not just Perkins, but Alan Hahn felt the same way that AD should be preparing for the following season. The journalist said, “I agree with Perk, and that’s what you have to do. If you’re the Dallas Mavericks, you can’t look at this as saving face. It’s the absolute worst thing they could do is try to save face and just get these guys back in the lineup and play in the play-in and all those things.”

Hahn mentioned that it was clear Kyrie Irving sustained a significant injury just by watching the clip of the play. So, the right course of action for the Mavs would be to avoid rushing Kyrie and AD back onto the roster before they are fully healed.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Shams Charania speculated that AD could come back. “I think him, his representatives are gonna huddle up. I think they’re gonna have some very hard conversations. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that one game was the last time we’ve seen AD this season,” the insider said on The Pat McAfee Show.

With Anthony Davis’ return still up in the air, an NBA insider provided insight into Kyrie’s future.

NBA Insider drops latest update on Kyrie Irving’s injury

The fall looked pretty hard on the floor. When Kyrie Irving was taken back to the locker room, it seemed like the injury would require an extended recovery time. But there was no confirmed news until Chris Haynes broke the story, shattering the hearts of the Mavs fanbase. According to Haynes, “Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season.” 

With Kyrie out of the picture, all the responsibilities will fall on Klay Thompson, who hasn’t been in top form for a while. On top of that, Anthony Davis’ status is also uncertain. After being traded from the Lakers to the Mavericks in place of Luka Doncic, Davis has only played one game against the Rockets last month and has been sidelined since with an adductor injury.

The Mavericks are currently in the tenth spot in the West with a 32-30 record. Doncic’s absence had already caused a setback, and now this injury could very well mark the end of their hopes for the championship this season.