Mavs' Deron Williams Out Rest Of Preseason

Considering their Plan B roster and patchwork parts, the Mavs need everything to go perfect just to flirt with the playoffs.

Um, so far so bad.

Injuries can turn great teams into good teams, good teams in .500 teams and Plan B rosters into, yep, Lottery teams.

Starting point guard Deron Williams – one of the things that needs to go right for Dallas – will sit out the rest of the preseason with a strained right calf. His status for the Oct. 28 opener at Phoenix is also iffy at this point, and – after straining his left calf before training camp started – he has yet to complete a full practice with his new team.

Not good.

Obviously calves heal and aren’t season-ending injuries. But with so many new faces the Mavs need all the time they can get to build chemistry. Williams is also learning a new offense under head coach Rick Carlisle. The Mavs have three starters – Williams, Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons – that have yet to play a pre-season minute.

Williams, 31, showed decline in Brooklyn the last two seasons partly because of his lack of health. The Mavs are hoping his new surroundings with resurrect a sagging career, but that belief is off to a stumbling start.

A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.

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