Deron Williams Injury: Updates on Mavericks PG's Knee and Return

The Dallas Mavericks hoped a change of scenery would help jump-start point guard Deron Williams' career, but the 31-year-old veteran is struggling through yet another injury.

Continue for updates.

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Williams Dealing with Knee Sprain

Friday, Oct. 30

According to ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon, the three-time All-Star suffered a left knee sprain in Dallas' season-opening win over the Phoenix Suns, and his status for Sunday's clash with the Los Angeles Lakers is unclear.

Williams missed Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers because of his knee, but an MRI came back negative, per the Mavericks' official Twitter account.  

According to MacMahon, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle is unsure of when Williams will return, but he doesn't believe the injury is significant: "We don't think it's serious. The hope is that we can get him going here, but I don't have a timetable. It's one of those ones that could be pretty quick or it could be a little bit."

Williams was supposed to be part of a potential championship puzzle when the Brooklyn Nets acquired him during the 2010-11 season, but Brooklyn has struggled to reach elite status in the Eastern Conference. That resulted in the Nets buying out the former Utah Jazz superstar.

The 2014-15 season was the worst of Williams' career since his rookie campaign, as he averaged just 13 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 38.7 percent from the field. Even so, the Mavs decided to take a chance on him in free agency.

It was a move that was widely viewed as a good gamble since it wasn't long ago that Williams was among the NBA's elite point guards. Through a combination of injuries and falling out of favor with the Nets, though, he lost his way.

Per Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Mavericks swingman Wesley Matthews saw the value in acquiring someone of Williams' ilk:

There is no doubt Williams is supremely talented, but staying on the court has been a struggle for him in recent years. He missed 14 games last season after being forced to sit out 18 in 2013-14.

His injury history caught up with him early in his Mavs tenure as well. According to Price, Williams was dealing with a pair of calf injuries during the preseason.

Williams getting banged up isn't a huge shock by any means, but that fact doesn't lessen the blow. After swinging and missing in free agency for the most part, Dallas hoped it could catch lightning in a bottle with Williams.

It may still be able to accomplish that, but it has been put on hold for the time being. If Williams is forced to miss some additional time, then the likes of J.J. Barea and Raymond Felton will likely be called upon to play most of the minutes at point guard.

That isn't an ideal scenario by any means, but the Mavericks certainly knew what they were getting themselves into when they rolled the dice on Williams.

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