Training Camp Report: Day 3 - Mavs continue jelling with big men sidelined
Earl K. Sneed reports from Day 3 of the Dallas Mavericks' training camp, where the team continued building chemistry despite injuries to big men Chris Kaman and Brandan Wright.
Training Camp Report: Day 3 - Mavs continue jelling with big men sidelined
DALLAS – Through the first three days of training camp the Dallas Mavericks have yet to be at full strength.
Saturday, when the Mavericks came together to begin camp, center Chris Kaman made it through only have of the initial practice before suffering a sprained lower back. It was another big man, Brandan Wright, a day later that was sidelined after sustaining a strained quad injury.
While neither injury is believed to be serious, there has remained a gaping hole in the center of Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle’s rotation. Still, it hasn’t stopped the squad from charging full speed ahead before leaving for Europe on Wednesday for two exhibition games.
“Get in shape, implement our system and be healthy. Those are the main things,” Carlisle matter-of-factly said of the team’s goals at this point in training camp.
“With Kaman out, we’re not ourselves,” he added. “And Wright’s been out yesterday and today, so we don’t have all of our pieces but we’re gonna be fine. But we’ve gotta get those guys healthy.”
Although both he and Wright remain listed as day-to-day, Kaman says he is progressing quicker than expected after injuring his back in a fluke play during the team’s morning practice on Saturday. Still, with preseason tests looming in Berlin, Germany and Barcelona, Spain, the 7-footer doesn’t know how far away he is from actual game action despite being in great shape.
“I don’t want to overdo it and set myself backwards at all,” he explained. “Just gotta be patient. It’s frustrating, but just keep pushing forward. … Just tweaked it the wrong way and it’s camp, we didn’t want to do anything too early. So, just make sure that I take care of it before the season starts and stay on top of everything. It’s a long season.
“It’s a long preseason. We still have until November and we started early, which is good for me at least. And we have this Germany thing and Spain thing, so that’s gonna give me a little bit more time than normal to kind of adjust,” Kaman added as he tries to integrate into a new team. “I’ve kind of got the plays down. I’ve been talking to some of the coaches on the side and paying attention, trying to make sure I’m in the mix. I’m making sure I know everything and I’m gonna go from there when I get back.”
Since making his lone All-Star appearance during the 2009-10 campaign, Kaman has been plagued by injuries, playing in just 32 games the following year for the Los Angeles Clippers and only 47 of a possible 66 during the shortened ‘11-12 season for New Orleans.
Still, the big man insists that his latest bump in the road is merely a speed bump, believing he will return to the practice court sooner rather than later.
“I mean, that’s what’s frustrating the most. I’ve been here since August 15 or 16, just trying to get myself in the position to be ready with the team and build chemistry and all that, so I’m in pretty good shape compared to seasons before and the past. I feel like I’m ready to go, and then the first day of camp you get hurt. You know, it happens and it’s something I can’t control. It wasn’t anything that I didn’t do or did do, it just happened. When I think about it, I think about all the years when I struggled playing. One year I missed 52 games, but then I’ve had some years when I’ve played 72, 76 and 82, so I just want to stay on top of my rehab and I’m gonna have to do this throughout the year to keep myself healthy. But the good thing is we’ve got some of the best trainers in the league, so I’m happy about that.”
Meanwhile, the Mavs surged ahead without their projected starting 5 man in the middle, relying instead on a competitive rotation of players that are vying for minutes on a new-look team.
“I like it,” Carlisle said of the team’s jelling process. “Even though it’s a group of guys that are in large part new to each other, there’s some chemistry there. There’s a lot of mutual respect and guys are jelling. It’s very competitive. There’s a lot of conditioning, so it gets a little ratty out there, because we know what we’re doing playing against each other and stuff. But the competitiveness and the comradery has been really good.”
