Dallas Mavericks In Need: Injuries Force Opening at Small Forward
Just two weeks ago, the Dallas Mavericks were looking like a true title contender. They were 24-5 and winners of 17 of their last 18, including a stunning three-game road trip that saw the Mavericks beat the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now it's two weeks later, and would anyone be shocked to wake up one morning and read that Mark Cuban chocked a hooker to death in some downtown Dallas hotel? I'm not saying Cuban is into that kind of thing, I just couldn't blame the guy if he snapped right now.
First Dirk Nowitzki went down with a sprained knee, which is bad enough, but then Dallas lost Caron Butler. The Dallas Morning News is reporting Butler has "at least a partial tear of the patella tendon in his right knee." Reportedly, the best case scenario could see him out two months. The worst case scenario has him gone for the year.
Two weeks, two starters down and the Mavericks suddenly lost three in a row, before beating a bad Cleveland team Sunday night.
The good news is Dirk should be back soon (possibly this coming weekend). He's obviously the most important piece of this puzzle, and his return should get the Mavericks back to their winning ways.
The question is whether the Mavericks contend against the Spurs or Lakers without Caron Butler.
While Butler's numbers have been down a little this year, this team will certainly miss his athleticism and outside shooting. He leads the team in 3-point shooting percentage, hitting 43-percent of his long-range shots.
I'm just not sure Dallas has anyone who can make up those kind of numbers on a consistent basis.
If Butler only misses two months, I suspect Dallas doesn't make a move, instead letting veterans DeShawn Stevenson and Jason Terry fill the void at SF. At the very least, maybe we can finally see rookie Dominique Jones get some playing time.
The rookie from South Florida got his first action in over a month against Cleveland on Sunday. He scored nine points in 21 minutes (going 5-for-5 from the FT line).
Of course, if Butler is done for the year, Mark Cuban has to make a move.
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