Mavericks to monitor playing time during hectic January
With games coming fast and furious this month for the Dallas Mavericks, monitoring the players’ minutes has become a must.
The Mavs are playing their second back-to-back this month. And the month is only five days old.
Dallas plays in New Orleans on Wednesday, a night after hosting the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center. And with the Mavs playing 18 games this month, including five back-to-back sets, giving weary players a game off will be an option.
“But it’s a day-to-day thing, kind of seeing where we are and seeing how guys are doing, seeing what the minutes are,” coach Rick Carlisle said Tuesday. “If we have a back-to-back, if the minutes weren’t that significant [in the first game], then it’s not as big a consideration.
We’re keeping a very close eye on [Nowitzki]. We’re watching all of our veteran guys. This is an important period because it’s a high frequency of games and we’ve got to keep the big picture in mind.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle on monitoring players’ minutes
“I’m not going to announce any pre-schedule rest days for any of our guys,” he added. “That’s just not how we do business.”
With seven players age 31 or older, Carlisle knows rest is important. That’s especially true with the oldest player, 37-year-old Dirk Nowitzki.
“We’re keeping a very close eye on him,” Carlisle said. “We’re watching all of our veteran guys.
“This is an important period because it’s a high frequency of games and we’ve got to keep the big picture in mind.”
Harris on Rondo
Guard Devin Harris said he didn’t think there were any hard feelings between the Mavericks and Sacramento Kings point guard Rajon Rondo.
The Mavericks and Rondo parted ways during the playoffs last year after he and Carlisle were involved in a heated exchange on the sideline and in the locker room.
“It was something that happened in the past,” Harris said. “I think we’re a team and an organization that doesn’t dwell on that.
“We’re looking towards now and winning the game rather than things that we can’t control that happened last year.”
Rondo became a free agent in July and signed a one-year $10 million contract with the Kings. Asked why it didn’t work out between the Mavs and Rondo, Harris said: “I’m not going to go into that. He was great for us here.
“He’s doing really well in Sacramento. I think he’s happier there and we’ll just kind of leave it at that.”
Chef Anderson
Rookie Justin Anderson revealed his culinary side Tuesday when he introduced his new hamburger.
Named the Just-in-Time Burger, the 1/3 -pound hamburger will be sold at the American Airlines Center concession stands in January for $12. The burger is topped with applewood smoked bacon and deviled egg aioli, vine-ripened tomato, shredded lettuce, provolone cheese and placed on Old Bay butter Texas toast.
Sriracha cheese fries come with it, too.
“The burger is phenomenal,” Anderson said.
Dwain Price: 817-390-7760, @dwainprice
This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 9:49 PM with the headline "Mavericks to monitor playing time during hectic January."