Mark Cuban completely OK with Dirk Nowitzki layoff – NBA Update
Dirk Nowitzki is an asset far too valuable for the reigning NBA Champions, the Dallas Mavericks.
On Saturday, the Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle announced that the seven foot German sharp shooter will be rested for the next four games, or even more, to nurse his sore right knee before it leads to a long injury layoff for
the Mavs talisman.
The move has left the Mavericks without their court general, but that does not seem to be a problem for their famous owner, Mark Cuban.
Cuban is about the most involved NBA owner on the circuit and according to him, the rest is just a precautionary step and the team management will use this layoff to work on the overall fitness of the power forward;
"It's not about his knee. His knee wasn't feeling well, but that's a symptom of everything else," Cuban said prior to Monday's game with the Phoenix Suns. "So, it's not like there's some problem. Even if it was his head, we would
still do the exact same thing.”
"There's nothing specifically wrong. Dirk has a process to get ready. You mess with the process; he just didn't feel right," Cuban said according to ESPN. "It's not just Dirk, it's other guys, too. It's a first for us in dealing
with a lockout."
After playing a major role in giving the Mavericks their first title in their 31 years of history, Nowitzki hardly had enough time to engage in his usual training regime. Barely a month after winning the NBA title, he departed
to Lithuania to lead the German challenge at the FIBA Eurobasket. He looked off colour and fatigued in that tournament and after returning to USA, he couldn’t start his workouts because of the NBA Lockout.
The abrupt resolution of the lockout didn’t help either as it left Nowitzki with no time whatsoever to get into shape. And then the quick fire NBA season started and with Mavericks struggling, Nowitzki had to be there to marshal
the charge. Now that the Mavs have settled into more of their groove, the franchise has given their superstar a break to condition himself as per his desire before coming on a NBA court again.
The Mavs haven’t done badly in his absence so far. After squeaking past the New Orleans Hornet in the last game, tonight they knocked over the Phoenix Suns 93-87. The more Dallas prosper in Nowitzki’s absence, the better it will
be for the Mavericks title defence.
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