The Dallas Mavericks are on a nice roll right now as they have won four games in a row and five of their last six to get their record to 7-4. Coming into this season the Mavericks were a bit of a question mark as they needed a lot of things to go right for them in order to be successful and one of the major question marks was at the center position. So far they have gotten some nice production from the center spot but one of the guys they thought might contribute, JaVale McGee, has yet to play and he may not be all that close to a return, according to Mavs.com.
McGee signed with the Mavericks this offseason on a veterans minimum deal and it was a low risk high reward signing. The hope was that McGee would be able to provide them with some athleticism and rim protection but he has been unable to get on the court as he is dealing with a left leg injury. McGee has been dealing with injuries to his left leg for a few years now and the recovery this time has been extremely slow.
At the end of September McGee was cleared for everything but jumping and cutting and then in the middle of October Rick Carlisle said he was getting close to going live. It has been a month since Carlisle has said that and he has yet to go live. The most McGee has done so far is some 3-on-3 work but he has not taken any contact because practice time is limited due to the season starting. In order for McGee to get back on the floor he will need to fully practice and that doesn't seem to be all that close.
The good news for the Mavericks is that they have actually gotten some solid play out of their centers so far this season. Starter Zaza Pachulia has a 17.9 PER (third best on the team) and is averaging 9.9 points per game and leads the team with 9.6 rebounds per game. Pachulia's backup Dwight Powell has been a revelation so far this season as his 20.9 PER is second on the team and he is averaging 10.5 points and 8.1 rebounds in just 22.1 minutes per game. What once looked like a huge weakness for the Mavericks has become a strength early in the season.
McGee had been hopeful to return in November but that looks extremely unlikely at this point considering he is not taking contact yet. When he does return though, there might not be much of a role for him as the two guys that are getting minutes at the center position have been great.
