For the next few games at least, the Dallas Mavericks are going to have to figure out how to get by without Chris Kaman — which shouldn’t be too bad, they have been 5.2 points better per 48 minutes when he sits this season than when he plays.
Kaman suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely, reports the Star Telegram.“I just got undercut in practice and landed on my head. It was a weird play. (Jae) Crowder drove down the middle, Elton (Brand) tried to take a charge and Elton slid to his left and took my leg out.
“I tried to block it and I was three feet in the air on my side and didn’t know where to go. Obviously it all happened real fast.’'
He is suffering headaches and told the Star Telegram he basically has all the classic symptoms of a concussion. Under the league’s concussion policy, he will have to pass a battery or exams after increasing physical workouts, then be cleared by a league neurologist, before he can return to play. There is no timeline.
Kaman is averaging 12.4 points per game and grabbing 6.2 rebounds with an above average PER of 16.5. But the fact of the matter (as you can see at 82games.com) is that both the Mavericks offense and defense improve when Kaman comes off the floor this season — the offense gets 2.6 points per 100 possessions better, the defense 4.6 points. That’s 7.4 points per 100 possessions, for those of you scoring at home.