Dennis Smith Jr. Reportedly Out 'At Least' 2 Games with Hip Injury

Dallas Mavericks rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is reportedly going to miss "at least" two games while recovering from a hip injury.Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News provided the status update Friday. The Mavs play road games against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday before returning home to face the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday at the American Airlines Center.Dallas selected Smith with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft following his standout freshman campaign at North Carolina State. He averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals across 32 games for the Wolfpack. Now he's working to establish himself as a future cornerstone for the Mavs.He's averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 23 games so far in his debut campaign.Injuries are starting to become at least a minor concern, though. The 20-year-oldNorth Carolina native dealt with a sprained ankle during the preseason and already missed some time earlier this season with a knee problem.With the latest ailment forcing Smith back to the sideline, Yogi Ferrell should see a lion's share of the playing time at point guard. J.J. Barea and Devin Harris also figure to see a little bit more run off the bench as part of the Mavs' backcourt rotation.Ultimately, Dallas isn't ready to contend in the loaded Western Conference, so it will probably take the cautious route with Smith's latest injury. Expect him to slide right back into a prominent role once he returns to full strength, though.
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