Dallas Mavericks: Dwight Powell battling knee soreness

Dallas Mavericks big man Dwight Powell has knee soreness and will miss the team’s first preseason game against the Beijing Ducks on Sept. 29.

The Dallas Mavericks are battling injuries early in training camp.  That is not uncommon, but the injury list grows longer by the day.  Dwight Powell is the latest name in the book.

Powell played in nearly every game for the Mavs last season.  He had 25 starts in 79 games.  Powell earned 21.2 minutes per game for the season and was an important role player for the team.  He led the NBA in offensive rating and earned a win shares per 48 minutes of 0.191 (0.100 is league average).

Knee soreness

The Mavericks have decided to rest Dwight Powell with his knee ailment.  He will miss their first preseason game against the Beijing Ducks on Sept. 29.  Here is what Coach Rick Carlisle had to say about the injury courtesy of Dwain Price.

Powell’s knee does not sound like a massive problem at the moment, and the Mavs are likely just being cautious.  It will be something to monitor this season, though.  Having a bulky knee can be a tough injury to shake and the grind of an 82 game season can make it pop back up.

Powell is only 27, so perhaps it is just a training camp injury, and fans never hear about during the regular season.  It is too soon to tell at this point.

Final thoughts

The Dallas Mavericks are without five players for their preseason opener including Dwight Powell.  The worse news is four are meaningful members of their rotation including Harrison Barnes, their leading scorer, and the legendary Dirk Nowitzki.

The bright spot of so many players sitting out is fans will get to see more time on the court for the new faces.  Rookies Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson figure to feature against the Ducks.  Free agent signing DeAndre Jordan should also see plenty of minutes.  Fans might even get to see Kostas Antetokounmpo and Ray Spalding on Sept. 29.  Stay tuned for plenty more on the game and the health of the Mavericks moving forward.

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