JaVale McGee playing the recovery game with Mavericks

JaVale McGee finds himself in an intriguing position.

The Dallas Mavericks like the overall skill set McGee brings to the table. They also like his athleticism, his rebounding abilities, his shot-blocking skills and his quickness getting up and down the court.

But there’s just one lingering problem.

McGee is limited in what he can do for the Mavericks because he’s still recovering from surgery on Feb. 20, 2014, to repair a stress fracture in his left tibia that caused him to miss 136 of a possible 164 games over the past two seasons.

Signed by the Mavericks on Aug. 13 to a two-year, $2.7 million free-agent contract, McGee has no timetable on when he’ll be able to practice without restrictions. But the Mavericks desperately want the 7-foot, 270-pound center on the court so they can better gauge his play.

“I don’t even believe in hope,” McGee said after Tuesday’s first session of training camp. “I just let it happen.

“Whatever happens, and however fast it’s supposed to happen, it’ll happen.”

Samuel Dalembert and Zaza Pachulia were brought in to help the Mavericks shore up things in the middle after Tyson Chandler signed with the Phoenix Suns over the summer. But the Mavs believe McGee is more equipped to protect the paint if he’s healthy.

“We know what he’s capable of doing — he has a body of work,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We know he’s an NBA player and we know he has the ability to be a starting player in the NBA.

“We know he’s very motivated to play. He’s just had a very odd rehab situation that’s been addressed, and he’s doing much better.”

McGee practiced with limitations Tuesday.

“The only thing they don’t let me do is cut and jump extremely high,’’ he said. “Everything else I can do.”

Since being selected 18th overall by the Washington Wizards in 2008, McGee has career averages of 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 382 games.

“We consider him a guy that’s a great prospect,” said Carlisle, whose team worked on defensive principles Tuesday. “He’s 27 years old, so he’s really not even entered his prime for a big guy yet.

“We’ll see how things go, but so far things have been positive.”

McGee knows a lot is riding on his body responding to treatment.

“Just stay high-spirited and keep working hard in what I can do,” McGee said. “I’m doing everything to my ability to the fullest.

“I’m shooting, I’m working out, I’m on the bike, I’m in the pool, running. I’m just getting everything right, so if they don’t see that, then it’s not meant to be.”

McGee averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.5 rebounds in 41 games for the Wizards during the 2011-12 season before they traded him to the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers last Feb. 19 before the Sixers waived him 10 days later.

“He was cleared last week for increased activity, so he’s able to do a little more movement on the floor and able to do jump-shooting, but he’s not doing running and things like that,” Carlisle said. “His situation is one that is going to be more of a long-term thing.

“It’s really impossible to say what the timetable is [for McGee’s return]. But he’s doing well and has had no setbacks, and that’s really good.”

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 8:20 PM with the headline "JaVale McGee playing the recovery game with Mavericks."