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Dirk Nowitzki

Poll: Will Love Or Dirk Injury Have Bigger Impact?

October 19th, 2012 at 6:42pm CST by Sean Highkin

Earlier today, the Dallas Mavericks announced that Dirk Nowitzki had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery and was expected to miss up to six weeks of the season. This comes just days after the Minnesota Timberwolves were also hit with the loss of their All-Star power forward. Kevin Love suffered a broken hand earlier this week and is likewise expected to be sidelined for around six weeks.

The Mavs and Wolves were both expected to be in the race for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference. However, losing their respective best players for the start of the season would seem to put a damper on those plans. Whose injury do you believe will have a larger impact on their team?

 

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Dirk Nowitzki Undergoes Surgery, Out Six Weeks

October 19th, 2012 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Dirk Nowitzki has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, the Mavericks announced today in a press release. The procedure was successful and is expected to keep the Mavs forward out of any on-court activities for approximately six weeks, according to the team.

As we heard earlier this week, despite the knee being drained repeatedly this month, it continued to swell and give Nowitzki problems, keeping him out of the last three Dallas preseason games. The longtime Mav had been hoping to avoid the procedure, but undergoing it now will give him a better chance to avoid nagging issues all season long.

It's unlikely that the injury results in any roster moves for the Mavs, considering the team has 15 players on guaranteed contracts and waived its final camp invitee, Josh Akognon, yesterday. But like the Timberwolves, who will be without Kevin Love for the first few weeks of the season, the Mavs will have to avoid digging too deep an early-season hole with their star player out of action.

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Southwest Links: Martin, Cuban, Mavs, Dirk

October 17th, 2012 at 11:06pm CST by Alex Lee

The Rockets upended the Grizzlies while the Mavericks fell to the Suns tonight in preseason action, where the Hornets and Spurs are both 3-1 thus far.  Here are some other links from the Southwest division:

  • As the Rockets go-to guy in a contract year, Kevin Martin will be playing for himself in 2012-13 as much as he will be playing for his team, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.  Martin has never really been part of a good team and seems to be constantly injured, but if he can stay healthy and thrive as the main option in Houston, he should be able to cash in. 
  • According to Mark Cuban, just because nearly all of the Mavericks roster may be free agents after the season, doesn't mean the team may not return a similar bunch in 2013/14, says Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram.  “I’ll tell you exactly what I told them,’’ Cuban said.  "The best situation is
    everybody kills it, and they’re all back.  Then, I don’t have to deal with all the idiot questions over the
    summer and we’ve got a great team to build on. That’s what I want.’’
  • Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News held a chat today and implied that the Mavericks may be better off if Dirk Nowitzki gets his knee cleaned out and misses half the season.  Sherrington's thought process is that, without Nowitzki, the Mavs would miss the playoffs, get help through the lottery and free agency, and have a fresh Dirk in 2013/14.
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Mavericks Notes: Nowitzki, West, Mayo

October 16th, 2012 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

Dirk Nowitzki is doing everything he can to avoid undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome right knee, but with the knee swelling up again yesterday, his options are looking increasingly limited, as he told the media.

"I’m doing everything I can, conservatively, not to have surgery," Nowitzki said, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. "I guess that’s obvious, that I really don’t want it done now. If I want to do it, I would love to do it after the season, get through the season somehow. But the swelling came back three or four times now. That’s obviously not good news. If it’s going to keep swelling up on me, then that’s obviously not the way to go through an 82-game season and hopefully a long playoff run."

If Nowitzki and the team's doctors decide that surgery is the way to go, the procedure will likely take place next week, with healing expected to take between three and six weeks. Here are a few more Tuesday morning Mavericks links:

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Western Notes: Thunder, Brewer, Sacre

October 14th, 2012 at 10:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque
You'll find tonight's miscellaneous links from the Western Conference here: 
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Western Notes: McGee, Dirk, Biedrins, Jazz

October 12th, 2012 at 10:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Some Friday updates out of the Western Conference:

  • The Thunder announced a series of staff additions, they announced today.  They hired Mike Wilks as a Pro Scout and Amanda Green as Basketball Operations Coordinator/Legal & Administration.  They also promoted Paul Rivers to Director of Basketball Operations, Will Dawkins to Director of College Player Personnel and Brandon Barnett to Director of Minor League Operations/Pro Scout.
  • Also regarding the Thunder, Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman says that the backup point job in Oklahoma City is still up for grabs between Eric Maynor and Reggie Jackson.  Maynor is the incumbent but is coming back from a knee injury.  With James Harden sidelined with hamstring issues, Thunder coach Scott Brooks said he may experiment with both guards on the floor at the same time to gauge his backcourt flexibility.
  • John Reid of the Times-Picaynne puts together a lengthy but excellent feature on Austin Rivers, implying that it was Rivers' drive that resulted in him moving up draft boards before landing with the Hornets at the tenth pick. 
  • Nuggets coach George Karl isn't about to let JaVale McGee's lucrative new contract dictate how much playing time he gives the big man, as Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post writes.
  • Dirk Nowitzki had his knee drained for the second time this month, and is still contemplating the possibility of undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee, according to Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Coach Rick Carlisle expects offseason acquisition Darren Collison to "be great" for the Mavericks, writes McMahon.
  • SI.com's Chris Ballard examines Andris Biedrins' precipitous decline, and wonders whether the big man will be able to turn his career around. Biedrins still has two years and $18MM left on his contract with the Warriors, who no longer have the amnesty clause available.
  • Al Jefferson was glad to see the Jazz add a number of outside shooters via trades and free agency this offseason, writes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
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Poll: How Many Points Will Dirk Average?

October 12th, 2012 at 8:57pm CST by Alex Lee

We heard earlier today that Dirk Nowitzki had his knee drained for the second time this month, which is the latest update in a string of recent injury news regarding the 7-foot German.  Nowitzki, now 34, played in 62 of 66 games last season and has stayed remarkably healthy throughout his 14-year career.  But last season was arguably his worst statistically since his second year in the league.  That, coupled with his age and the troubling news on his knee may have some people concerned about his ability to carry the load in Dallas.  What do you think?

Nowitzki averaged 21.6 points per game last year, while good for 8th in the league, was also his third straight season where his scoring average declined.  So what will he average this year, in his 15th season in what will surely be a Hall of Fame career?

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Injury Updates: Roy, Dirk, Smith, Hill, Nene

October 10th, 2012 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Injury news isn't usually our focus here at Hoops Rumors, but with updates today relating to recent free agent signees, roster hopefuls, and NBA superstars, there's too many updates of note not to pass them along. Here's the latest on the injury statuses of a number of players around the league….

  • In an appearance on KFAN in Minneapolis, Brandon Roy said that his knees are holding up great following his first few "grueling practices" with the Timberwolves (link via Sports Radio Interviews).
  • According to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, Dirk Nowitzki is fighting knee issues for the second straight year. Nowitzki is hoping a few days of rest will help, but if the problem doesn't improve, it sounds as if he's prepared to undergo a minor procedure: "We’ll see how it responds, but the longer we wait, obviously the worse it is. If we have to do something, it’d be better to do it quick…. But we’re still hopeful that this is a temporary thing. If we relax and rest it for a week and see how it goes, then we’ll have a better idea."
  • Knicks camp invitee Chris Smith will undergo patella surgery and miss three to six months, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. According to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter), Smith was considered a strong candidate to make the team, so his injury could clear a spot for another player to become the Knicks' 15th man.
  • Jordan Hill, who re-signed with the Lakers this summer, won't need surgery for a herniated disc in his back and should be ready to play in the team's regular-season opener, reports Adrian Wojnarnowski of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Wizards coach Randy Wittman couldn't offer a timetable for the return of Nene, as he told Michael Lee of the Washington Post: "All I do is each morning, I come in, I ask the trainer who I got, who I don’t have. And that’s all I can worry about right now. I write down who I got and we formulate a practice plan and we come out here. And I’ll come back tonight and see who I got and who I don’t got. That’s my update."
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Mavericks Notes: Deron, Cuban, Nowitzki

October 9th, 2012 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, Nets guard Deron Williams made waves when he disclosed that Mark Cuban’s absence from his summer meeting with the Mavericks helped shape his decision to stay put.  The point guard and his agent had a chance to speak with Mavs brass including coach Rick Carlisle and president Donnie Nelson, but was irked that the club’s owner was busy filming an episode of “Shark Tank” for ABC instead.  Here’s Cuban’s response plus more out of Dallas..

  • In an email to Howard Beck of the New York Times, Cuban quipped that he was “kind of surprised” by the remarks before adding, “I’m even more surprised that he didn’t say something to the effect of, ‘I am so excited about what the Nets did this summer. It wouldn’t have mattered what Cuban did.’“
  • Before entering the NBA draft, Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki flirted with the idea of playing professionally in Spain for FC Barcelona, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.  Despite that, the big man says that he probably doesn’t see himself playing for Barcelona when his career is through.
  • Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram isn’t buying Williams’ excuse for why he chose the Nets over the Mavericks.  The point guard was quick to say that Brooklyn’s acquisition of Joe Johnson helped sway him back to the club and doesn’t buy that Cuban’s absence from their meeting had a bigger impact than that.
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Southwest Rumors: Mayo, Nowitzki, Leonard

October 8th, 2012 at 12:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Southwest Division teams haven't been shy about making cuts the past few days. The Spurs let go of Sherron Collins on Friday, and Sunday the Grizzlies waived D.J. Kennedy and Jarrid Famous. The Hornets will reportedly shorten their preseason bench as well, as they're set to waive Dominique Morrison. While the competition for space on the fringes of the roster gets more intense, more established players can plan far beyond October.

  • O.J. Mayo deemed his time with the Grizzlies "a little bit of a failure," according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Sulia link). "I felt like I could have done better (in Memphis)," Mayo said. "Starting and then moving to bench would be tough on everybody. I had started all my life, so that was something I had to adjust to. It's a new opportunity in Dallas, so I have to play hard and hold my ground."

Earlier updates:

  • Dirk Nowitzki, in Spain on the Mavs' European tour, said he was recruited by Spanish club FC Barcelona before he came over to play in the NBA, and didn't completely rule out playing in Europe after he completes the final two years of his contract with Dallas. He told reporters, including Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, that he might favor the the shorter European schedule if his body no longer feels up to an 82-game season, but cautioned, "All that is a possibility, but as of now, I don’t actually see a chance.’’ 
  • Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has spoken about his desire for Kawhi Leonard to spend his entire career with the team , and though the second-year player is a long way off from free agency, Leonard says he's open to remaining with the Spurs long-term, and cites Tim Duncan as his example to follow, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
  • Rockets coach Kevin McHale, on KBME radio Houston with Matt Thomas, said all five starting spots are up for grabs (transcription via Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews). 
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