The Dallas Mavericks are back at home on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, and both teams are missing their biggest stars just two weeks into the season. Despite Zion Williamson showing up into the season in the best shape of his NBA career, he's now going to be out for a few games.

Both teams will be at less than full strength when the visiting New Orleans Pelicans face the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

The Dallas Mavericks are shorthanded for their home game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. Anthony Davis headlines the team's injury report and is among the four players ruled out.

The Dallas Mavericks return home hoping to get back in the win column. If they can't get it done against a New Orleans Pelicans team that just picked up their first win last night, the pressure that is already building around the team is going to really ramp up.

Earlier in February 2025, the Mavs acquired Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade involving Luka Doncic. However, with the Mavericks navigating roster turbulence and Davis coping with injuries, the league is abuzz with questions about his future and the underlying causes.

The apologists will say we should wait. Anthony Davis will be back on the floor soon and perhaps Kyrie Irving will be by the end of the year. But deep down even those defenders would have to look at the mirror and know that these flaws we are seeing are systemic and doom the season.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/mavericks/onsi as Cooper Flagg addresses early NBA struggles with Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas Mavericks fans and media members have been expressing frustration with the team’s recent events, starting with the unexpected trade of star Luka Doncic in early February, and injuries to star players like Kyrie Irving,

The Dallas Mavericks may have lucked out getting the number one overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but the Western Conference franchise is still reeling from the fact that they traded away a generational superstar that is going to dominate the league for the many years to come.

New Orleans will look to stop its four-game road skid when the Pelicans face Dallas. The teams play Wednesday for the first time this season.