Having a slow start to the season may not be the worst news yet for the Dallas Mavericks. The team announced that their All-Star forward and former league MVP Dirk Nowitzki will be out indefinitely as he recovers from a strained right Achilles.
Without the German international, the Mavs will look for a new leader on the floor during Nowitzki's absence, but according to head coach Rick Carlisle, he has already identified that player.
The veteran bench tactician shared recently that their starting shooting guard, Wesley Matthews, is now their leader both on the court and in the locker room.
“He is our leader right now with Dirk out; he really is in the locker room and on the floor. He’s the vocal guy in the locker room”
“Wes, he’s a tone-setter. Our competitive soul is very linked to him right now, and I think that’s pretty obvious.”
Carlisle also named Harrison Barnes as another player who can provide leadership to the team, but admitted he is not as vocal as Matthews.
“Harrison [Barnes] is one of those guys, too, but Harrison is a little bit quieter and he’s in his first year. He’s feeling his way through all of that kind of stuff.”
Dallas is hoping that Matthews' leadership is enough to keep their heads above water while waiting for Nowitzki to get back to action. With their 4-15 record, they cannot afford to have losing streaks anymore.
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