DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Mavericks fans got some bad news from Donnie Nelson when he joined the K&C Masterpiece on Monday morning. But they also got some good news, as well.
Nelson, the Mavs president of basketball operations and general manager, said Monday that star forward/center Kristaps Porzingis won't be ready when the season resumes on Dec. 22. Nelson said the Mavs will be cautious with Porzingis as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery.
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As for the good news, Nelson discussed the team's positive outlook on forward/center Dwight Powell's chances of returning when the season begins.
"Dwight has just been an absolute champion. He in the bubble was hands down the hardest worker. ... (He's) the perfect dance partner for Luka in a lot of respects. The pick and dive ... he really worked on his three and has become a key piece for us," Nelson said. We're optimistic that he's going to be able to, out of the gates, be able to slowly, gradually integrate back in. As you know, our medical staff treats every player like our own kids here. We're not going to rush. We're going to do it the right way. But we're pretty optimistic he's going to be able to join us out of the gates."
Powell suffered a torn Achilles Jan. 21 and had surgery a few days later. The 29-year-old's return to the lineup will provide a big boost to the Mavericks frontcourt.