Michael

Dickerson

Dickerson still hasn’t recovered from hernia surgery. He has told close associates that retirement is now an option if his condition doesn’t improve.

Just how effective Dickerson can be remains to be seen. The Grizzlies signed James Posey to be their starting shooting guard, so Dickerson isn’t being counted on as anything more than a reserve.

Dickerson could require surgery and another three months of rehabilitation. Since being place on the IL Monday, Dickerson has scheduled visits with specialists in Seattle and Vancouver.

Doctors are now determining whether more surgery is necessary to repair the injury, which appears to be around the same groin area he originally hurt in November 2001. Surgery would require three months of rehab, but would put Dickerson in position to play next season.

Dickerson has missed most of the last two years, and the Grizzlies don’t want to have to rely on him being healthy next season. For that reason, they’re likely to draft a shooting guard in the first round tonight.

Dickerson was 2-of-4 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc. With Dickerson joining the rotation, Gordan Giricek was a DNP-CD against the Mavericks.

Dickerson is expected to be at practice and ready to be activated after the All-Star break. It will be interesting to see what the club does with him. Dickerson, 27, had a very good sophomore season in 1999-2000, when he started every game and averaged 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and sank 119 3-pointers. With the injuries he’s suffered the last two seasons, the Grizzlies have learned to live without him. If Dickerson is 100 percent, he can be a difference maker for Memphis or someone else.

Dickerson announced his retirement on Saturday, but he wasn’t officially removed from the Memphis roster until today.

Dickerson, 28, was forced to retire because of hernia that just won’t heal. Maybe he’ll be healthy enough to attempt a comeback at some point, but if not, he finishes his career with averages of 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest in 212 games.