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Per head coach Rick Carlisle, Dorian Finney-Smith will be out for “a while” due to quadriceps tendinitis in his left knee:
Rick Carlisle said Dorian Finney-Smith (left knee quadriceps tendinitis) will be out "a while."
— Bobby Karalla (@bobbykaralla) November 14, 2017
The second-year forward’s nagging knee injury has been bothering him since October and has limited him to eight games this season. In 12 minutes per game, Finney-Smith is only averaging three points and one rebound per outing but is shooting a respectable 36 percent from deep.
It’s particularly troubling as Finney-Smith has yet to gain traction this season, and the Mavericks have a serious lack of depth at the wing position. It’s hard to imagine Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews absorbing any more minutes, so it seems players like Devin Harris (when healthy), Gian Clavell and even Maxi Kleber will see more playing time in Finney-Smith’s absence. Perhaps even two-way player Jonathan Motley gets a call up from the Texas Legends for a game or two.
Although Finney-Smith wasn’t making much of an impact, his injury illuminates one of the holes in the Mavericks’ roster construction: Barnes is now the only healthy player on the roster taller than 6’5’’ and shorter than 6’10’’.
Tinker, Rick. Tinker.