Dirk Nowitzki is apparently missing the Dallas Mavericks at the preseason opening against the Philadelphia 76ers next Friday in Shanghai due to injury. That’s what Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports.
According to this, the German is making only slow progress after his operation on his left ankle in April, and he has not yet trained with the team. Apparently, the 40-year-old won’t be able to stand on court with the Mavs throughout the China trip.
“It won’t be days but weeks before he can return to court,” Head Coach Rick Carlisle told MacMahon. “He’s making progress, but we haven’t reached the point where we can talk about a precise timetable.”
The Mavs originally assumed that Nowitzki would be fit again in time for the training camp. But apparently there was a setback about a week ago, and since then the 40-year-old has been plagued by pain in the Achilles tendon.
Whether the German will miss the start of the season in a good two weeks is not yet certain. Carlisle explained that Nowitzki still had to “make a big step”.
The player from Würzburg played an average of 12 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season as a starter. In 2018/19 he is expected to come from the bank.