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Yardbarker
According to The Athletic’s Tim Cato, Harrison Barnes tweaked his hamstring during practice and will be missing the entire preseason with no set timetable for return.
Guard JJ Barea has also been dealing with a hamstring injury, though his injury is not considered to be as severe.
Hamstrings function to control the acceleration and deceleration of the knee, therefore making them very important muscles in basketball. The purpose of the control is to ensure that the foot is in primed position when contacting the ground while running, jumping, etc. The faster the speed of running or sprinting, the more load is put upon the hamstrings. That is why most hamstring strains occur during high speed activities - there’s a massive amount of stress on the hamstrings.
Hamstring strains tend to be more difficult in terms of recovery time. Unlike a surgery, there isn’t usually a finite timetable for return. Return to play is defined by how the players feel while sprinting, jumping, and cutting. Depending on the severity of the strain, recovery time can be anywhere from a couple of days to 2-3 months. Surgery can also be indicated with the most severe cases.
As for the Mavericks, they will be put in quite a predicament. Rick Carlisle has come out to say that their starting lineup would include DeAndre Jordan, Harrison Barnes, and Wesley Matthews, as they would be the defensive backbone for the Mavs. Without Barnes to start the season, Dirk will be re-inserted into the lineup. Carlisle will have to resort to hiding Dirk on defense without the versatile Barnes.
Barea should be back for the beginning of the season with Barnes returning soon. The Mavericks are headed towards another challenging, albeit a fun year in the West.