Appearing on Thursday on The Ticket Sportradio 96.7 FM in Dallas, Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison said that newly signed point guard Kemba Walker will need about one week to get game-ready, since he hasn’t played since February and didn’t have a training camp. Harrison also made some rather candid remarks when asked about Walker’s long-standing knee issue, as Josh Bowe of Mavs Moneyball relays.
“It’s not good, it’s not good at all,” Harrison said of the knee. “But he’s rehabbed it. And it’s actually the best he’s felt in the last two years, so we’ll see how long that lasts.”
When it was pointed out to him that “it’s not good” wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of Walker’s health, Harrison explained that he was referring more to how the injury has hampered the former All-Star in recent seasons, rather than assessing the current state of Walker’s knee.
“It hasn’t been good for a few years,” Harrison said. “Even last year, he had 30-point games on it. But it actually feels better now. The reality is, if you look at it, it’s just not good. But that doesn’t mean he can’t play on it.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Mavericks big man Christian Wood has been ruled out for Saturday afternoon’s game vs. New York due to a non-COVID illness, the team announced (via Twitter). With Wood unavailable, Dallas figures to lean more on Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber. It’s possible that JaVale McGee, who has been out of the rotation as of late, will also see a little playing time.
- After ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins predicted during an NBA Today segment that the Mavericks will miss the playoffs if they don’t make a deal to give Luka Doncic more help, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski observed that the team’s trade assets are somewhat limited (YouTube video link). Wojnarowski expects any trades the Mavs make before this season’s deadline to be “marginal” or “slight” upgrades.
- Part of the Mavs’ problem, according to Wojnarowski, is that they haven’t drafted well over the years, with the exception of 2018, when they selected Doncic and Jalen Brunson. Doncic was the first Dallas draft pick to get an extension with the club since 2003 first-rounder Josh Howard, while the team mishandled the Brunson situation and ended up losing him for nothing.
Knicks are 10-12 so far.
Mavs are 10-11 so far.
Yet no one talks about Mavs . Like they do about Knicks. wonderY
Mavs have missed Brunson production. I think they miss most. Is his will to win. Jalen plays to win. That they have not replaced. They invested instead in Woods. Still a work in progress. Mavs still a top 6 team in West. Still early.
People do talk about them, a lot. Mostly the point Luka needs to share and they need to recruit & trade better. They get lucky in PO most seasons recently, playing injury hit teams. But once they play a full strength team they figure Luka out. He’ll get 40 but they’ll lose by 20.
As I have said before about Knicks, I think both are play in destined. Difference being is Knicks have a collection of around 4 players that are good but not team leading guys. And Mavs have a top 5 guy with no one else. They kinda need what the other respectively.
The Walker experiment will only go for so long. The moment Doncic says WTF as Walker heaves a three from half court in a double team, the bench and street clothes will follow.
Lofty endorsement of Kemba Walker… Dallas traded some draft picks also to land KP. In that deal they avoided losing value on Dennis Smith Jr. Jalen Brunson leaving for nothing is the only Dallas miss. Jaden Hardy ripping up the G’s. Not a bad 2nd round pick. Wojnarowski since ESPN has turned into windhorst. Josh Green isn’t great, but not a bad draft pick.
Dallas needs a true PG that can pass and assist in the middle. Kidd as a coach should know that.
westbrook
Nobody wants that over priced bad contract.
Dallas look that they will miss the playoff, they need big man help no more guards and waker is a high risk experiment, also Luka has a too much ball in hand problem no team work is Luka team all the way. Good luck Dallas.
You’re so right it’s such a high risk to sign someone to the league minimum.
If the Mavericks supposedly throw in the towel on this season and managed to draft Wembanyama out of sheer luck, would Wembanyama be an answer to Dallas’ constant big man problems?
I’d say RJ and Cam will probably mostly guard Luka today. Let’s see what he gets. Keeping him under 30 would be nice.
The Mavs have some guys that NY is gonna struggle with. Doncic, Dinwiddie, Hardaway. Tough to say which one is best to put your worst defender on. So far this season the gamble has been Hardaway most of the time, for most teams.
It’s time for Javalle to go back to the Warriors.
People forget Dallas had a similar start last year and ended up being the best team in the West Post-Jan1
Not saying history will necessarily repeat itself here but I wouldn’t write them off quite yet. With Luka you need very little to be a top 6 team. The problem for Dallas has been everyone else has contributed … very very little overall.
If Kidd can cobble together a halfway decent defense again and guys who are paid to hit open 3s starting hitting open 3s then Dallas will be ok
But even ok may be enough to make Luka start thinking about a new home