Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford set to miss at least six weeks
The Dallas Mavericks suffered another tough blow to their frontcourt, with big man Daniel Gafford expected to miss at least six weeks due to a Grade 3 sprain of the MCL in his right knee.
The injury occurred during Monday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings after he attempted to set a screen for Spencer Dinwiddie. The initial reports stated that he would be reevaluated in two weeks.
Gafford has been a highly dependable factor, averaging 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks while shooting 69.9 percent from the floor in 51 games with 28 starts.
Gafford’s absence leaves the Mavericks without their three primary big men for the next several weeks. In his debut game with the team, Star big man Anthony Davis suffered a groin injury.
Meanwhile, center Dereck Lively has been sidelined for a month due to a stress fracture in his right ankle that has him still in a walking boot. Center Dwight Powell has missed the last 14 games because of a strained hip.
This leaves Dallas significantly thin in the frontcourt for around a month after the All-Star break. The Mavericks will likely shift their rotations to small-ball lineups with a strong dependency on star point guard Kyrie Irving leading the charge offensively.
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Dallas headed into the All-Star break,k winning six out of their last 10 games, putting them in the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings with a 30-26 record.
The Mavericks have won four out of their last five games, including their last two straight home contests.
