On Thursday, it was announced publicly that Dallas Mavericks forward Brandan Wright would be undergoing an MRI as a result of a shoulder injury. Just 24 hours later, the results are in, and they aren’t exactly positive for Wright or the team.
Mavs C/F Brandan Wright suffered a small, non-displaced fracture of left shoulder. Will miss some time, but no surgery anticipated.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) October 11, 2013
On the bright side, ESPN Dallas writer Tim MacMahon indicates (directly from the team) that Wright won’t need surgery, but the indefinite prognosis is a bit troublesome for Wright. He missed an entire season earlier in his career with a similar injury, and the frontcourt for the Mavs was already dangerously thin in terms of NBA-ready talent, even before Wright went down.
In the past two seasons, Wright has been incredibly efficient and effective when he’s made his way on to the court. The 26-year-old big man (I can’t believe he’s only 26) has consecutive seasons with a 20+ PER (player efficiency rating), and his loss will be felt immediately. In his absence, Dallas will likely turn to some form a platoon between Bernard James and DeJuan Blair, but neither is a desirable option for anything other than spot duty.
Now, it’s time for Dallas fans to cross their fingers and hope that “indefinitely” doesn’t turn into a multi-month process.