Isaiah Roby is playing well despite an injured finger

LAS VEGAS—Head athletic trainer Casey Smith left his seat in the stands and headed toward the Dallas Mavericks’ bench in the first half of Dallas’ game against the Brooklyn Nets. There, he took a seat next to Isaiah Roby, the rookie Dallas selected in the second round of June’s NBA Draft. Of concern for both was Roby’s left hand.

At some point during the action, Roby hurt a finger on his hand. After a few minutes of attention, he checked back into the game with his ring and middle fingers taped together. He didn’t miss any significant time after that.

“I haven’t talked to the trainers about it,” Mavericks Summer League head coach Mike Weinar said after the following game. “He wasn’t complaining about it during the game. I’m sure they’re treating it and getting it checked out. I think it’s precautionary, but I would leave that to the trainers.”

Roby played 25 minutes in that game, a 113-81 win over the Houston Rockets. He had 14 points, seven rebounds and shot 54.5 percent overall with his fingers still taped together. In total, Roby has played 53 minutes in two games at Summer League. So, if the finger is bothering him, he’s not showing signs of it.

Dallas likes what it’s getting out of Roby so far. The team is encouraging him to be a multi-skilled player who can pass, shoot, and cut. Taking a cue from how the league is trending, the Mavericks want to fill their roster with players who can do a little bit of everything. Roby, who considers himself a point-forward, seems to fit the bill.

“He’s a hard-playing guy,” Weinar said. “He can be versatile. He can play multiple positions. That’s kind of who he is, who he is right now, and hopefully he continues to grow.”