The Dallas Mavericks are coming off perhaps their worst offseason in franchise history and after losing Tyson Chandler and Monta Ellis, and then missing out on DeAndre Jordan, they were dealt another blow this week when their starting point guard went down with an injury. The Mavericks weren’t the only team dealt an injury blow this week either as the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors were both in the news for the wrong reasons. Here is the most important news and notes from this past week in the NBA.
Deron Williams Questionable For Mavericks Opener
Dallas is expected to take a major step back in the loaded Western Conference following their offseason purge and it won’t help that they could be without Deron Williams for the start of the year. The veteran point guard underwent an MRI on his leg that confirmed no structural damage but he will miss the Mavericks’ next preseason game with a calf strain. His status for the regular season opener is still up in the air. Williams turned 31 years old this past summer and isn’t the star point guard that he was once but he is still a key piece for this Dallas team. Many fantasy general managers are looking at the point guard situation in Dallas and are expecting Williams to get significant minutes. With only J.J. Barea and Raymond Felton in his way, that line of thinking is reasonable. However, Williams injury will open the door for one of the other guys to step up.
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Kobe Bryant Might Sit Until Lakers Opener
Kobe Bryant wouldn’t let the Lakers force him to miss the entire preseason but after getting some time in, he could be done for the rest of the exhibition slate. Kobe is dealing with a minor leg injury and while it isn’t expected to be serious, the reality is that the Lakers simply can’t afford for him to aggravate the problem in a game that doesn’t even matter. Beyond that, it really feels like Bryant has a season-long energy meter and there’s no sense in cutting into that in meaningless preseason games when they’re going to need him at his best down the stretch of the season and – hopefully for them – the playoffs.
The 37-year-old Bryant has been limited to just 41 games played over the past two seasons combined and it won’t be a surprise if Los Angeles does everything possible to limit his potential for injury this season.
Warriors Bogut Suffers Broken Nose
The Warriors will be without their starting center for at least the preseason after he suffered a broken nose in the second quarter of the team’s exhibition win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday. Bogut suffered the injury when K.J. McDaniels attempted a slam dunk and hit Bogut’s nose on the follow through. Expectations are high for Bogut after he lost weight to adjust to Golden State’s high tempo attack and with David Lee gone he should have an even bigger role once he returns. However, keep in mind that he’s never played more than 67 games in a season for Golden State and hasn’t played in more than 69 games in seven years. He is injury prone and he’s already going to start the 2015-16 season on the shelf.
Craig Sager Set To Return To NBA Sidelines
After his latest round of chemotherapy treatments in his battle with leukemia, veteran sideline reporter Craig Sager will return to his job in time for the start of the 2015-16 NBA season. Sager was released from hospital after a recurrence in late March forced him back in to treatments but he is reportedly doing well and ready to return to work. Sager will be on the sidelines reporting on the opening Tuesday as the defending NBA champion Warriors host the New Orleans Pelicans. His flashy suits have become a staple on the TNT Thursday night broadcasts and everyone will be happy to see him back and healthy.
