Dallas Mavericks' Dorian Finney-Smith Undergoes Successful Surgery; Indiana Pacers' TJ McConnell Sidelined With Hand Injury
Dallas Mavericks Forward Recovering After Successful Surgery
Dallas Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith underwent successful surgery on his right adductor muscle on Tuesday, the team announced. The procedure was performed by Dr. Riley Williams III in New York City and is expected to keep Finney-Smith out of action for 4-6 weeks.
Finney-Smith, 30, has been dealing with the injury since the Mavericks' preseason opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 3rd. He missed the team's subsequent preseason game against the Utah Jazz on October 7th and the team's regular season opener against the Phoenix Suns on October 19th.
The Mavericks are hopeful that Finney-Smith will be able to return to action in late November or early December. In the meantime, the team will likely rely on Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber to fill Finney-Smith's role in the starting lineup.
Indiana Pacers Guard to Miss Time With Hand Injury
Indiana Pacers guard TJ McConnell will miss the start of the regular season due to a hand injury, the team announced on Tuesday. McConnell suffered the injury during the Pacers' preseason game against the Detroit Pistons on October 14th.
McConnell, 30, is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with the injury. The Pacers are hopeful that he will be able to return to action in early November.
The Pacers will likely rely on Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard to fill McConnell's role in the starting lineup in his absence.
Injury Impact On Respective Teams
Finney-Smith is a key player for the Mavericks, and his absence will be a blow to the team's defense. Finney-Smith is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, and he is also a solid rebounder and scorer.
McConnell is a valuable player for the Pacers, and his absence will hurt the team's backcourt depth. McConnell is a good defender and passer, and he can also score when needed.
Both the Mavericks and Pacers will hope to get their injured players back as soon as possible. In the meantime, both teams will need to find ways to fill the voids left by Finney-Smith and McConnell.
