Dallas’ reserve point guard Jalen Brunson has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury suffered against Atlanta, and he was expected to miss the next three games with the Mavericks out on the road.
It sounds like he may be out longer than that, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Sources: The Mavs fear backup PG Jalen Brunson has a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Brunson, a lefty, has been ruled out the remaining two games of this road trip but plans to return at some point and play the remainder of the season. Postseason surgery is a possibility.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 27, 2020
Brunson, the former Villanova star, has given Dallas a solid 18 minutes a night off the bench this season, averaging 8.2 points and shooting 35.8 percent from three. In the short term this means more minutes for J.J. Barea, but come the postseason Brunson’s size and defense would be helpful off the bench.
If playing through the injury isn’t going to make it worse or risk long-term damage, then it’s up to Brunson and his level of pain tolerance as to when and how much he plays. The surgery can wait until after the playoffs. Just expect he’s going to miss a little time in the immediate future.
