[V]

By Mike Fisher and David Lord -- DallasBasketball.com
For some of the wounded Mavs, rest is the only healer. But for never-at-rest Josh Howard, a Wednesday visit to the doctor is scheduled.

Howard, playing through the discomfort of a hamstring problem – and playing well enough to have contributed 42 minutes, 15 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday’s 98-94 home preseason loss to the Spurs – tells DB.com that favoring the hammy is causing some soreness to his knee.

“Just to be safe, I’m going to the doctor tomorrow,’’ J-Ho told us.

Now, let's call this precautionary. But let's also note that Dallas can hardly afford to lose Josh. Not with the way is playing and not with the way his mates are missing. The Mavs injury problem is extensive. During preseason, the bug has at different times bitten Shawn Bradley, Erick Dampier, Marquis Daniels, Dan Dickau, Michael Finley, Devin Harris, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Pavel Podkolzin, Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry.

That’s pretty much everybody.

Colleague Chuck Cooperstein put it very succinctly to us late Tuesday night as we reflected on what’s been accomplished in camp: “This,’’ Coop opined, “has been a wasted month.’’

And now, suddenly, it’s time for the next month. With Daniels’ ankle so serious that he hasn’t played at all, and the Mavs quite worried that Finley (hamstring) and Stackhouse (thigh contusion) might join Marquis (ankle) in missing the Nov. 2 regular-season opener and beyond, it is hoped November won’t be a wasted month as well.

“I think right now,’’ Dampier said, “a lot of guys are just tired.’’

Make that “sick and tired.’’ How deep is the injury bug’s bite? Nellie missed the game with the flu, leaving Avery Johnson to run the show. (“Well, I’m 0-1,’’ AJ said, smiling.) Personnel man Ro Blackman has even been laid up for the last few weeks with a bad back. Radio analyst Brad Davis even sat out Tuesday.

On the one hand, as DB.com’s Professor Dennis Hans notes, someone needs to please tell Michael Finley and the fellas that there’s nothing magical about Nov. 2.

Troublesome hamstrings have their own timetables, and they don’t heal any faster just because the start of the season approaches. Fin, Stack, Daniels and JET sat out Tuesday’s loss, and that’s perfectly fine. They need to continue trying to get well first, and once they do, minutes can gradually be built up.

On the other hand, that gradual building of minutes could coincide with a gradual buildup of losses.