In a recent report, Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle revealed that there is no definite timetable yet for the return of point guard Seth Curry. The younger brother of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry remains on the sideline after suffering a stress reaction in his left tibia ahead of the 2017-18 NBA season. However, Carlisle is expecting him to see action once again this December.
Sadly, it is possible that when Seth Curry comes back, he will experience relegation. ESPN mentioned in its report that before Curry got hurt, many believed Carlisle planned to start him in the backcourt together with the prized rookie of the Dallas Mavericks, Dennis Smith Jr. With Curry out, Carlisle went with the combination of Smith and Wesley Matthews.
ESPN suggested that the Mavericks could continue starting them even when Curry is already cleared to play. When this happens, Curry must settle with the "backup role" for the remainder of the season.
Every player wants to start for his squad, that is why being a reserve could be discouraging for Curry. However, it may be the best for him as of the moment since he is coming off a significant injury. Plus with the way things are going, it looks like the Mavericks will miss the playoffs. There is no point in starting and playing him that much if, in the end, they would not make the postseason.
Different Mavs
The Dallas Mavericks is among the worst teams in the NBA today. Dallas has lost in back-to-back outings and is last in the Western Conference with its 5-17 record.
The campaign of the Mavericks could have been different if Seth Curry was with them.
Curry is far from his brother Stephen, who led the Golden State Warriors to two championships in the last three seasons. But in the 2016-17 season, he proved that can have a positive impact on a team. In 70 games (42 starts) for the Mavericks last season, the 27-year-old averaged career-bests 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per outing.
The Mavs might have won a few more games this season if Curry stayed healthy.
Up next
The Dallas Mavericks will have to continue playing without Seth Curry. On December 2, the Mavs will resume a three-game homestand when they host the Los Angeles Clippers who are also struggling this season. Then, on December 4, the Mavericks will close the homestand when they take on the Denver Nuggets who are without All-Star forward Paul Millsap.