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Mavs Training Camp: Matthews Update, Deron Williams Injury

By Isaac Harris

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Today marks day 1 of training camp for the Dallas Mavericks with the first of two practices of the day (9/29) already completed.

From a roster full of grinding partial guaranteed contracts and a plethora of health concerns, position battles are at high levels coming into training camp today. The following is some news and notes after the first Mavericks practice of the 2015-16 season.

Wesley Matthews Timeline

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    • One of the most noticeable storylines coming out of media day was Coach Carlisle saying that Wesley Matthews wouldn’t be ready for opening night, even though Matthews has emphatically said the opposite. Some other news sources took that comment and ran with the idea of Matthews being out until Christmas.

    Carlisle kind of took back his comment today by saying it wasn’t completely impossible for Matthews to be ready, but acknowledged it was a long shot. I wonder who will win the battle of “Wes Will be Ready for Opening Night” between Matthews and Carlisle, my money is on Carlisle.

    The Battle at Center

    As expected by most people, Zaza Pachulia seems to be getting the first shot at the starting center position. From the team pictures of the starting five coming out of media day to Zaza running with the first team in defensive drills, it seems to be Zaza’s job to lose at this point.

    Zaza’s main competition for the position didn’t seem to help themselves ether as both JaVale McGee and Samuel Dalembert seem to have bigger struggles. McGee is still not cleared completely and Dalembert doesn’t seem to be in-game shape yet.

    With the battle of center taking place between Zaza, McGee, Dalembert, and Mejri, it seems Zaza will get that first crack.

    Deron Williams Limited

    After the Mavericks signed Deron Williams, one of the first thoughts in the minds of Mavs fans is whether Williams can stay healthy throughout the season. Even though it is the very first day of training camp, Williams doesn’t seem to be 100%.

    Although he was limited due to his calf, it seems that the Mavericks are not too concerned with the injury. This will be something worth watching throughout training camp.

    Stay tuned to The Smoking Cuban for all of your latest and breaking Dallas Mavericks news.

    Next: Photo Gallery First Look at the 2015-16 Dallas Mavericks

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