Dallas Mavericks: Worst Case Scenario for 2016-17 Season

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Jan 27, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) holds onto a rebound against the Dallas Mavericks in the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

5.) Injury to Andrew Bogut

Andrew Bogut is 31 years old and has missed over 12 games each of his past seven seasons. In his 11 seasons in the league, he has played under 40 games in three of those seasons.

As Bogut gets older, chatter around his injuries seem to grow as the big man has battled through some painful injuries. Just in this past year’s NBA Finals, we all witnessed him tumbling to the ground awkwardly in a knee injury that would end his Finals run.

Bogut comes into Dallas as the best overall center since Tyson Chandler back in the championship run. He gives Dallas a unique presence above the rim that will fit perfectly next to Dirk Nowitzki. His defense is well-known, but as he proved in Rio, he still has a serviceable offensive game that was in the shadows in Golden State.

A major injury to Bogut would be devastating to Dallas as he will be a major key to success this season. Salah Mejri is a solid backup, but asking him to be the starting center for a good portion of the year would be a huge task.

Without Bogut, Dallas can’t hit their full potential.

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