Don’t let this little nugget go unnoticed.
With so much going on in Mavsland, including an intriguing matchup on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, some good news on the injury front may add another wrinkle to the vibes surrounding the team.
The team’s PR machine announced on Tuesday that stretch big man Santi Aldama, whom the Mavericks acquired in a six-team draft day deal in July, has been assigned to the Texas Legends “to practice with the team as part of his return-to-play protocol.”
Thrown in with that announcement is an upgrade for Aldama on the team’s injury report ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Thunder from “out” to “doubtful.” And on top of that, was this note attached to the end of the MavsPR update:
“He will scrimmage with the team and be recalled following practice without appearing in any games for the Legends.”
As of this writing, that scrimmage has likely already taken place. So, it should stand to reason, then, when the Dallas Morning News reported alongside the announcement that “it appears possible that Aldama could make his debut on either Friday or Monday.”
Indeed, the PR machine basically confirmed as much when they gave a further update later in the day on Tuesday: that Aldama had been recalled from the Legends after practicing with the team.
The Mavericks host the Houston Rockets on Friday and the Sacramento Kings on Monday in the last two legs of the team’s first homestand of the season. That Rockets game is also the first group-stage matchup of the NBA Cup for the Mavs.
Dallas has turned some heads in the first four games of the season, with wins at the Indiana Pacers, in Tyrese Haliburton’s Welcome Home Game after missing last season recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and at home against the new-look Miami Heat, who remade their roster behind Giannis Antetokounmpo after nabbing the superstar in an offseason trade. Adding a stretch big to the mix after those early results, who scored 15 points per game last season (albeit in just 43 games), could elevate the Mavericks to a level many didn’t expect this year.
Joining the team five or six games into the season is pretty close to the best-case scenario we wrote about in Aldama’s purposefully vague player preview profile before the season started. He’ll need time to work his way into shape and into his role in a new team at the same time.
But if he can run the floor and fill lanes to shoot like he did with the Memphis Grizzlies, he definitely fits next to Cooper Flagg, as well as a true weapon off the bench.
He’s a versatile player. That gives us some level of confidence the veteran entering his sixth year will find a role and fill it successfully.
A little bit of excitement is gathering behind this young Mavericks bunch. The news about Aldama’s injury status should only serve to fill the fanbase’s sails with a little more hot air.
