The Dallas Mavericks are going to be seriously shorthanded for the next little while. Kyrie Irving is expected to miss a week or two due to a bulging disc in his back, ESPN's Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon reported Monday,

The Mavericks are currently 20-15 as they have dropped to the seventh seed in the Western Conference. It will be on Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson to keep the team afloat until Doncic's return and give them a shot at making a deep playoff run this season.

In recent weeks, the Dallas Mavericks have relied on Kyrie Irving to lead the team. The All-Star guard has stepped into a bigger role due to Luka Doncic's injury-induced absence. Irving's scoring and playmaking ability likely eased some of the blow of Doncic's forced absence.