The Dallas Mavericks already knew they wouldn’t have Wesley Matthews for training camp. The former Trail Blazer tore his achilles in March, a devastating injury for any player, even one with an Iron Man-like resumé such as Matthews.
Still, the Mavericks banked on Matthews’ ability to fully recover, rewarding him with an extremely lucrative contract this summer. Unfortunately, they’ll have to wait at least a few months longer to see if their investment will pay off.
Rick Carlisle said Wes Matthews will take a longer with his rehab, won't be ready for season opener.
— tim cato (@tim_cato) September 28, 2015
Parsons may be ready for opener, Matthews maybe by Christmas, according to Rick Carlisle, declining to be pinned by more specific timetable.
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) September 28, 2015
The Mavericks are already dealing with another high-priced injured wing in Chandler Parsons, who underwent surgery on his knee this offseason. That leaves the Mavs with very little reliable depth on the perimeter should Parsons prove limited in the season’s early going – or worse, for its duration.
Even when Matthews returns, he’ll still need another month or so to get back into basketball shape. In reality, this isn’t even year one of Matthews’ Mavericks tenure, it’s year zero. It won’t be until next season when the Mavericks see if Matthews can regain his old form and is indeed worthy of such a big deal, or if the injury rendered him beyond repair.
This is going to be a rough year for the Mavericks, who will have no depth up front and will have to wait for more than two months before one of their premier signings even sees the court.
