Dallas Mavericks: 3 Reasons to Stay Positive

By Isaac Harris

Nov 15, 2016

Nov 6, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) celebrates with center Andrew Bogut (6) and guard Justin Anderson (right) after scoring in overtime against the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

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Nov 4, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) has his leg worked on by trainers during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

2.) Number of Games With Full Roster Healthy: ZERO

Everyone knew health would be a key factor for the success in Dallas, but nobody could predict the plethora of injuries to start the season for the Mavs.

In the last preseason game in Denver, Devin Harris injured his foot after breaking an orthotic in his shoe that has sidelined him for the entire regular season thus far. Harris looks to make his return to the court over the next couple of weeks.

Deron Williams injured his calf on November 4th against the Portland Trail Blazers and hasn’t played in a game since. After suffering a setback last week, Williams put in some shooting work before the game in New York on Monday night. Williams hopefully will look to return fairly soon over the next week.

But the biggest health issue surrounds Dirk Nowitzki, as the Mavericks best scoring option (besides Barnes) has missed six out of the nine games the Mavericks have played this year. As Nowitzki continues to rehab his sore Achilles, he should be making his return to the court either in Boston on Wednesday night or at home against the Grizzlies on Friday.

Bottom line, reinforcements are coming. The Mavs have yet to play a game this regular season where they have had their full, planned out rotation intact.

Next: Primed for Trade