NBA champion claims Naji Marshall didn’t deserve his suspension: 'League got this one wrong'

The Dallas Mavericks already have some obstacles to face when Luka Doncic suffered a calf injury that will sideline him for a while. Now, they have to deal with more player absences for the next few games via suspension.

Before the Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns Friday night, an altercation between Jusuf Nurkic, Naji Marshall, and P.J. Washington ended with the three ejected. The Mavericks prevailed in the matchup, but now they’ll be even more shorthanded temporarily.

The NBA punished the three players involved in the following ways: Marshall was suspended for four games, Nurkic for three, and Washington for one.

Retired NBA champion Kendrick Perkins disagreed with the ruling and took to X to voice his displeasure with the punishments. Perkins, who won a title with the Boston Celtics in 2008, agreed that Marshall’s actions warranted a suspension, but not for as long as the league gave him.

“The league got this one wrong. Nurkic started and swung first. Marshall should have only gotten 2 games max," Perkins wrote.

The league did not offer an explanation for why Marshall was suspended for one more game than Nurkic, only putting in their official statement that when Nurkic hit Marshall, he “responded by throwing a punch that connected with Nurkic’s face.”

The next time Marshall will play will be against the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 6, 2025.

How the Mavericks could adjust without them

With both Marshall and Washington suspended for their next game against the Portland Trail Blazers, they may turn to the likes of Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Maxi Kleber, and Dwight Powell, among others, to pick up the slack.

The Mavericks have managed well while playing without Doncic this season. Now, they must prove they can manage without two starters for the next little while on top of Doncic’s absence.

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