Mavericks' Naji Marshall Still Dealing With Illness, Misses Friday Practice
Naji Marshall returned to the Dallas Mavericks lineup for Thursday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the illness that sidelined him for four games continues to affect his recovery. His status becomes one to monitor once again as the Mavs prepare to face the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
Marshall played 29 minutes, scoring 19 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in the defeat. However, hours after he was absent from practice on Friday, he tweeted, “It’s a crazy bug out here I just can’t seem to get right.”
Marshall, fighting an upper respiratory illness, explained that his return involved working through the illness and focusing on conditioning.
“It was a little bit of both,” Marshall said. “Some days I was sick, some days it was more about conditioning and getting back to the feel of the game.”
Despite his illness, Marshall was able to contribute, but he felt his performance could have been better. “A couple of turnovers I want to take back,” he said. “I feel like I could have done more out there.”
Marshall has averaged 11.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 21 games this season. His contributions have been crucial for the Mavericks, especially without key players. Before his illness, Marshall was instrumental in the Mavericks’ success during Luka Dončić‘s injury absence. The team went 5-1 in games Marshall started without Dončić, with Marshall averaging 18.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in those six games. During a four-game stretch, he scored 20 or more points in each contest, the longest such streak of his NBA career.
On the injury front, P.J. Washington, who missed Thursday’s game due to illness, returned to practice on Friday. Washington has been a key contributor for the Mavericks, with the team holding a 15-4 record when he’s in the lineup this season versus being 1-5 without him. His return should help shore up the Mavericks’ defense and rebounding, which were impacted in his absence.
“We definitely miss him, hope he gets well and is back soon. He plays a big role for us,” Marshall said about Washington in Oklahoma City.
Maxi Kleber (illness), Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain), and Danté Exum (right wrist surgery) were also sidelined for Friday’s practice, but Kleber and Hardy got shots up on the practice court. It remains to be seen when Exum is expected back.
The Mavericks will continue to monitor Marshall’s recovery as they prepare for upcoming matchups. The team will practice on Saturday before departing for San Francisco to face the Warriors the following night.
