Mavericks forward left stunned by sudden role change amid center injuries
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DALLAS — When 6’7″ Kessler Edwards signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks before the 2024-25 NBA season, he likely would have never predicted that he would be Dallas’ starting center in February. Yet, that has been his role in recent action amid the Mavs’ plethora of injuries.
On Friday, Edwards and the Mavs earned a 118-113 victory against the Miami Heat. Eight Mavericks were ruled out for the game, including Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. Four Mavericks centers, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell, are currently out due to injuries.
As a result, Edwards has been starting games at center.
On Thursday, it was Dante Exum who led the way. The Mavs guard scored 27 points to go along with four assists and three rebounds. Edwards, however, also enjoyed a big performance. The Pepperdine product finished the game with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
“They got me listed as a center on the box score, I can't believe it,” Edwards told reporters after the game. “I got a lot of help from my teammates. Coach is just guiding me through it every game.”
Kessler Edwards stepping up for Mavericks
Now 6’7″ isn’t exactly small, but it is short for the center position. Kylor Kelley, a two-way player, is 7’0″ tall but he has limited NBA experience. Kelley is the only healthy Mavs’ center available right now, and he has received some minutes. Head coach Jason Kidd is trusting Edwards as the starting center at the moment, though.
So how familiar is Edwards with the center position?
“It’s been a minute (since he played center), a little bit in high school, middle school,” Edwards said. “But yeah, it’s been a long time.”
Edwards is embracing the role, however. He is playing hard and the Mavericks are finding ways to win despite their injury-plagued roster.
The Mavericks are hoping to have a healthier roster after the All-Star break. With that being said, the Mavs’ centers may be out for a while, so Edwards could end up spending more time at the position in future games.
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