Help could soon be on the way for the injury-plagued Mavericks, as both Dirk Nowitzki and J.J. Barea could be back in action before we ring in the New Year.
Nowitzki, who’s missed all but five games this season with a sore Achilles, told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon before Friday’s game in Utah that he hopes to be back in action “anytime soon.”
“Maybe I’m a Christmas gift,” the sixth all-time leading scorer said.
The German hasn’t been traveling with the Mavericks lately, but he made the trip to Utah and took part in a long workout with his pick-and-roll buddy Barea at Mavs shootaround Friday morning.
Look who's shooting around… 🐐 https://t.co/ea2Lgxb3wT
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 16, 2016
Obviously the sooner Nowitzki can return, the better. The Dallas offense could certainly use the best floor-spacing big man of all-time.
So, too, could it use the skills of Barea, who’s been a catalyst off the bench for the club since his return in the 2014-15 season. Barea has missed the Mavs’ last 16 games with a left calf strain suffered in a Nov. 16 loss at Boston. The point guard had been playing the best basketball of his career, holding averages of 16.3 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Before tip in Utah, Barea told reporters he could return to action as early as next week and will begin ramping up his practice activity in the meantime.
That’s welcome news on both fronts for the Mavs, who have battled injuries at nearly every position all season long. Harrison Barnes is the only Maverick to appear in every game. The timing, too, is particularly important, as the Mavericks have an extremely road-heavy schedule through the remainder of 2016, and Dallas is just 1-12 away from home this season.
The returns of Nowitzki and Barea will not only bring quality to the top of the lineup, but it will also bring much-needed depth throughout the rest of the rotation. Head coach Rick Carlisle has said he doesn’t want Barnes and Wesley Matthews to play as many minutes as they’ve been — they’re fourth and 10th in minutes per game, respectively — but he’s been left with little choice, given the volume of injuries this team has been battling through all season long.
Stay tuned for updates regarding both Nowitzki’s and Barea’s status moving forward. The Mavs play at home against the Kings Sunday night before embarking on a four-game road trip which will take them through Christmas. Dallas will return home on Dec. 27 to face the Rockets before heading back out West for a two-game swing to close 2016 against the Lakers and Warriors.
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